The young Paco Morales–a future number one in Spanish cuisine–has truly exceptional natural gifts beyond that of almost anyone we have seen in the last thirty years of gastronomy. His daringness and masterful talent are perfectly reflected in this recipe (which is nothing short of stellar), something that is no small feat when using salt cod as a protagonist.
Interestingly, as an alternative to the radical minimalism that distinguishes his work, he reveals a versatility to his approach that shines a light on his ability to construct more complex and academic dishes. The cod itself boasts a remarkably beautiful filet with a clean, sharp flavor: beyond juicy… it is then enriched with a flavorful, attractive crust of potato starch and served over a broth made of meat and cod; an essential construction in which the spring onion, lentils and crispy pancetta are swimming.
La Recette
Crusted cod with tender spring onion, lentils and crispy pancetta
Ingredients
For 4 servings:
For the cod:
- 2 Salted cods (90 g per person).
- 1 kg Potato starch
- 2l Extra virgin olive oil
- 100 ml Mineral water
For the spring onion:
- 2 l mineral water
- 12 g sea salt
- 4 Fresh spring onions
For the lentils:
- 100 g Small green lentils
- 1 l Mineral water
- 6 g Fine salt
For the stock:
- 100 ml Cod stock
- 100 ml Meat stock
- Fine salt
For the cod stock:
- 1 kg Cod skins
- 1.2 l Mineral water
For the meat stock:
- 5 kg Shank bone with marrow
- 5 kg Flank steak
- 1 kg Carrots
- 1 kg Onions
- 1 kg Leeks
- 1 l Aged red wine
- 10 l Mineral water
For the crispy pancetta:
Method
For the cod:
Make sure that the cod is desalted appropriately.
Cut each filet into two servings, square and high. Set aside in the freezer.
Place the potato starch in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a large saucepan place the virgin olive oil. Keep at 200ºC/424ºF. Set aside.
For the spring onion:
Cut of the base of the spring onions as well as the green tops.
Place the mineral water, sea salt and spring onions in a saucepan.
Cook for 4 min.
Leave to cool in the same pan with the juices to finish the cooking process little by little.
Cut down the middle, remove the first few hard layers and cut into petal shapes: 5 per person.
For the lentils:
Place the mineral water, sea salt and lentils in a saucepan.
Cook for 15 min.
Leave to cool in its own cooking water.
Remove and pick out any lentils that may have broken.
15 lentils per person. Set aside.
For the stock:
Combine the two stocks and adjust the salt. Set aside.
For the cod stock:
Place the skins and water in a saucepan. Cook over low heat for 3 hours.
Strain through a fine sieve and transfer to a superbag. Set aside.
For the meat stock:
Roast all the ingredients in the oven at 200ºC/424ºF until they are well toasted.
Place in a large pot with the water and cook for 6 hours over low heat.
Reduce the red wine and add at the end of the preparation.
Strain and reduce to give it a texture that is more a reduction than a thickening.
Strain into a Superbag. Set aside.
For the crispy pancetta:
Place the sliced bacon in between two baking sheets and bake for 15 min. at 160ºC.
Finishing and presentation:
Dry well and place in a dehydrator; dry well and grind into a powder. Set aside.
Soak the cod with water and coat with the potato starch.
Fry at the said temperature for 3 minutes. Set aside.
On a deep plate place the spring onion, lentils, crispy pancetta and top with the cod. Add a small amount of the juices at the table as a counterpoint to the potato starch.
