Nuno Mendes' deceptively rich cod recipe involves cooking the fish and eggs in olive oil at a very low temperature to confit. The tender nature of the cod loin is beautifully complemented by notes of citrus, saffron and garlic.
Preheat the oven to 45°C. Rinse the cod in water and cut into 6 portions. Place the cod on a tray, pour over the olive oil and cook for 20 minutes
200ml of olive oil
4
Turn the oven up to 65°C. Fill an oven tray with the olive oil, 4cm high. Separate the egg yolks from whites and add the yolks, one by one, into the oil. Place in the fan oven to confit for 55 minutes
Rinse the 200-300g of fish bones in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain. Chop the fennel, onion and garlic and sweat in a pot, adding the orange and lemon zest
Place your fish bones in a deep roasting tray and stir in the fennel mix. Cover with water and cook in the fan oven at 120°C/gas mark 1 for 1 1/2 hours
7
Heat the saffron gently in a dry frying pan until it starts to look toasted and gives off an aroma. Strain the fish liquid into a bowl. Add 1 confit yolk along with the toasted saffron and a dash of butter. Blitz the fumée with a hand blender until it foams
Preheat the fan oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Roast the bulb of garlic for 30 minutes, squeeze the garlic out of its skins and then purée. Mix the purée with 2 of the confit yolks and a pinch of salt, then slowly add the oil to make a mayonnaise
To serve, place the pieces of confit cod on each plate, and position a confit yolk next to each. Spoon over the fish fumée until almost covered. Spoon small droplets of mayonnaise next to the cod and yolks, then scatter half a sprig of torn dill across each plate
For a chef, having mentors like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Ferran Adrià must be akin to taking music classes with Chopin and Brahms. Nuno Mendes' London restaurant demonstrates the qualities of ambition that most good protégés possess.
