SALT COD WITH PUMPKIN PURÉE & BLACK OLIVE SALAD

We use a lot of salt cod in the Basque country – this autumnal salad isn’t a traditional recipe, but I love the colourful combination of ingredients, and the contrast between the creaminess of the pumpkin purée and the sharpness of the salad.

First desalinate the cod (see here).

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into roughly 2½cm chunks. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper, then add the pumpkin. Drizzle over a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes.

When the pumpkin is nice and soft, put it into a blender or food processor with the butter, 40ml of olive oil, salt and pepper and blend to make a smooth purée. Keep warm.

Pit the olives – it doesn’t matter if they break up. Mix with the red onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Put 25ml of olive oil into a pan and put on a medium heat. When hot, add the desalinated salt cod fillets, skin side down, as many as will fit into the pan, and cook for 2–3 minutes. You want to get the skin really crispy – it has so much flavour, especially when it’s been salted. Turn and cook for another minute for thinner fillets or 2–3 minutes if thicker. To check whether the cod is cooked, squeeze the sides: if the fish feels almost rubbery, with resistance in the middle, then it’s not done yet. You could also pierce them with a toothpick to check – it should slide through easily. Repeat until all the fillets are cooked, adding more oil if needed.

Spoon the warm pumpkin purée on to plates, place the fried cod on top, skin side up, and spoon the salad around.