Cod with a spring broth of asparagus, Jersey Royals and mussels
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Nassima Rothacker
Cod with a spring broth of asparagus, Jersey Royals and mussels
A dish that sparkles with spring’s favourite ingredients by the duo behind Orwells restaurant
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
478Kcal
Fat
27gr
Saturates
11gr
Carbs
13gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
3gr
Protein
35gr
Salt
0.8gr
Orwells Restaurant
Chefs Ryan Simpson and Liam Trotman opened modern British restaurant Orwells in Binfield Heath, Oxfordshire, in 2010. Housed in an 18th-century former pub, Orwells was named 2017 Restaurant of the Year in the Good Food Guide Editors’ Awards, and holds four AA rosettes. Ryan and Liam, who married earlier this year, live above the restaurant
See more of Orwells Restaurant ’s recipes
Orwells Restaurant
Chefs Ryan Simpson and Liam Trotman opened modern British restaurant Orwells in Binfield Heath, Oxfordshire, in 2010. Housed in an 18th-century former pub, Orwells was named 2017 Restaurant of the Year in the Good Food Guide Editors’ Awards, and holds four AA rosettes. Ryan and Liam, who married earlier this year, live above the restaurant
See more of Orwells Restaurant ’s recipes
Ingredients
- 250g Jersey Royal potatoes
- 4 skinless cod loins, about 150g each
- about 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 200ml dry white wine
- 300ml fish stock* (made from 1 stock pot or cube)
- 1 x 250g bunch asparagus, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 400g mussels in the shell, cleaned
- 50g wild garlic, shredded (or 2 crushed garlic cloves plus 50g sliced spring onions)
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp concentrated miso paste (we used Yutaka)
- 80g unsalted butter, diced
- ½ x 30g pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and shredded
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 3 a couple of hours ahead of serving; chill the seared cod. Return to room temperature for 30 mins while the oven preheats. Reheat the broth base and continue from step 4.
- Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender, drain, then cut into large dice when cool enough to handle (these can be cooked well ahead). Remove the cod from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking, to come to room temperature. About 5 minutes before cooking, preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4 and season the fish with fine sea salt.
- Put a large deep non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the oil, then when it is shimmering, add the cod. Fry for 5 minutes until it has a golden-brown colour on one side (don’t move it around too much). Flip over for just 30-60 seconds then remove to a baking tray, browned-side up.
- Meanwhile, add the wine to the hot pan and reduce it by three-quarters. Add the stock and reduce the liquid by a quarter; this is your base broth. See Get Ahead, below, if preparing in advance.
- Add the potatoes, asparagus and mussels to the hot broth. Cover the pan and cook at a reasonably brisk simmer for about 3 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Using a slotted spoon, remove the veg and mussels to a warm dish. Meanwhile, bake the cod for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Stir the wild garlic (or garlic plus spring onions), lemon zest and miso into the pan of broth. Add the butter, little by little, stirring continuously. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
-
Divide the potatoes, asparagus and mussels between 4 warmed deep plates or bowls. Place the cod on top then ladle the broth over the fish, and sprinkle generously with parsley.TipUse gluten-free stock and miso if required.
