ROAST SALT COD, BEETROOT, SPRING ONION AND POTATO SALAD, GREEN BEANS, POACHED EGG, AND MUSTARD AIOLI

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 13 - 15 hours but most of this is salting the cod overnight
Cooking time: 20 minutes

METHOD

1. Salt the cod by sprinkling on the salt and leaving overnight. This won't be genuine salt cod in the dried out old bit of leather sense but will firm up the flesh and impart a salty taste to it.
2. Soak the fish under running water and leave it to soak for as long as you like depending on how salty you like your cod. I leave mine for about half an hour, but I like it a little salty. Cut it in half so that you have two good thick portions.
3. Meanwhile cook the new potatoes and slice the spring onions.
4. Boil the beets and when cooked leave them to cool till you can handle them, then remove their skins. Cook the beans so that they are crunchy.
5. Put on your water for your poached egg-add a little lemon juice or wine vinegar and salt.
6. Pop the cod skin side down in some plain flour, then pat it off.
7. Get a frying pan very hot and pour in a little oil. Put the cod straight in, skin side down and immediately give the pan a little shake. This will just stop the fish from sticking. Put the cod into a preheated oven 200˚C and roast for about 10 minutes or until it feels firm to the touch.
8. Bind the potatoes, spring onions and beets with the mustard aioli, and place on a large white plate.
9. Poach the bantam egg to a soft yolk, once the water is at a rolling boil.
10. Place the beans on top - if you want - of the salad, push it down a bit, pop the cod on skin side up - the skin should be nice and crisp. Stick the egg on top of that - I know - we are danger of making cheffy towers on plates, and spoon a little aioli over that. Few chives and you're away. Nice summer flavours. You could use chorizo in the salad, but maybe no beets, and some of the oil that came from the cooking of the chorizo dribbled all over.

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