Seared cod with asparagus, crab beignets and samphire

Name: Seared cod with asparagus, crab beignets and samphire
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 350g of white crab meat; 100g of brown crab meat; 50g of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped; 2 shallots, finely chopped; paprika; 2 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped; 100g of plain flour; 2 eggs; 100g of Panko breadcrumbs (1); 1 tbsp of olive oil; vegetable oil, for deep frying; 12 white asparagus spears; 12 asparagus spears; 20ml of water; 50g of butter; salt; 200g of brown crab meat; 100g of white crab meat; 250g of unsalted butter, cold, cubed; 1/2 tsp curry powder; 1 shallot, chopped; 1 garlic clove, chopped; 6 cod fillets, each weighing 100g; 200g of samphire, fresh; 50g of butter; 2 tbsp of olive oil; 50ml of Madeira; 50ml of whipping cream; 1 tsp lemon juice

by James Sommerin

Item 1 of 1

Main
medium
6
1 hour 30 minutes

Ideally, you need marsh samphire for this seared cod recipe from James Sommerin to serve alongside little crab fritters, seasonal asparagus and pan-seared cod. Samphire season ends in September, but it is now available at some supermarkets as well as most fishmongers.

First published in 2016

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Ingredients

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Imperial

Crab beignets

350g of white crab meat
100g of brown crab meat
50g of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
paprika
2 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
100g of plain flour
2 eggs
100g of Panko breadcrumbs (1)
1 tbsp of olive oil
vegetable oil, for deep frying

Asparagus

Crab butter

200g of brown crab meat
100g of white crab meat
250g of unsalted butter, cold, cubed
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped

Cod fillets

6 cod fillets, each weighing 100g
200g of samphire, fresh
50g of butter
2 tbsp of olive oil

Crab sauce

50ml of Madeira
50ml of whipping cream
1 tsp lemon juice

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Method

Gently sweat the ginger with the shallots and the paprika in the olive oil. Add the brown and white crab meat and remove from the heat

50g of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp of olive oil
350g of white crab meat
100g of brown crab meat
paprika

Mix in the coriander and divide into tightly packed 50g balls, each about the size of an apricot, reserving any leftover beignet mixture for the sauce

2 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped

To make the crab butter, place the brown and white crab meat, cubed butter, curry powder, shallot and garlic into a blender and blend until smooth. Place in a bowl and reserve in the refrigerator until needed

200g of brown crab meat
100g of white crab meat
250g of unsalted butter, cold, cubed
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped

For the asparagus, place the water, butter and a pinch of salt together in a pan, bring to the boil and add the white asparagus. Three minutes later, add the green asparagus and simmer gently until tender

To make the crab sauce, combine any leftover beignet mix in a saucepan with the Madeira and whipping cream

50ml of Madeira
50ml of whipping cream

Bring the mixture to the boil and squeeze in the lemon juice. Once the sauce has reached the boil, remove from the heat, place in a bowl, and aerate gently with the hand-held blender

1 tsp lemon juice

Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs on 3 different plates. Roll the balls of crab in the flour first, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Roll once more in the egg and breadcrumbs

100g of plain flour
2 eggs
100g of Panko breadcrumbs (1)

Heat the deep-fat fryer to 190°C and fry the crab beignets for 3 minutes. The centres should be hot when they come out

vegetable oil, for deep frying

To prepare the cod, place the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Pan-sear the fish, skin-side down, for 2 minutes

2 tbsp of olive oil
6 cod fillets

Turn the cod over and add the butter, cooking for a further 3-5 minutes and basting constantly with the butter. The fish should be firm to touch and opaque in the centre. Be careful not to overcook the fish

50g of butter

Remove the fish from the pan and set aside. While the pan is still hot, add the samphire. Keep it moving in the pan for 30 seconds and tip it out into a paper towel

200g of samphire, fresh

Plate the asparagus first, placing some crab butter on top of it. Add some samphire on top and the cod on one side. Place the crab beignet on the other side. Smear some crab sauce along the outside of the plate

First published in 2016

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James Sommerin

Welshman James Sommerin got his start in the kitchen as a child, baking under his mother and grandmother’s tutelage.

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