Pickled Artichokes

• 2 large even sized Jerusalem artichokes
• 2tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of a fresh lemon
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1tsp white wine vinegar
• Pinch of caster sugar

Peel the artichokes and slice them as thinly as possible using a sharp mandolin, take extra care and watch your fingers.

Immediately mix the sliced Jerusalem artichokes with the vinegar, lemon juice, seasoning, sugar and olive oil, let the pickle macerate for minimum one hour in a container in the fridge.

This will be fine to be done one day in advance especially if you can vacuum pack the mixture.

Jerusalem Artichoke Puree

• 200g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced
• 2tsp unsalted butter
• 50ml white wine
• 200ml water
• 50ml cream
• Salt

Prepare the Jerusalem artichokes by peeling them and cut them in thin even size slices.

Heat a small saucepan with the butter, add the sliced artichokes with salt and sweat the chokes with the lid on. The chokes will be colourless,but as soon as they start to take on colour add the wine and cook with the lid on until the wine becomes thick and coating. Add the water, turn the heat to very low, place the lid to cover the pan and cook the chokes very slowly until completely soft, remove the lid and boil rapidly until nearly all the water has evaporated.

Add the cream, bring the cream to the boil and puree the artichokes until smooth, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Jerusalem Artichoke Crisps

• 2 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled
• Sunflower oil for deep frying
• Salt

Heat a small saucepan three quarters filled with sunflower oil to 160°C.

While the oil is heating place a plate, slotted spoon and a double layer of kitchen paper ready next to the oil.

Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and sliced them as thin as possible using a mandolin.

Fry them till golden brown and crisp in the preheated oil.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the Jerusalem artichokes crisps and drain them on the kitchen paper, season them immediately with salt.

Lightly Cured Cod

• 6 x 55 - 60g even size pieces of skin less and boneless cod,
• 1tbs table salt
• 1tbs caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1tsp unsalted butter
• 1tbs sunflower oil

Prepare the cod by removing the skin and pin bones, cut the cod into 55g -60g pieces, the perfect size for a starter. If you wish to serve this dish as a main course I suggest cut the cod into 100g -120g pieces.

Mix the sugar and salt and cover the fish with the cure.

Let the fish cure for 10 minutes, wash the sugar salt off under cold running water, pat the fish dry with kitchen paper.

The cod is now ready to be cooked.

Heat a medium size non-stick frying pan with the oil, dust the cod pieces with the curry powder. Once the pan is hot enough add the cod presentation side down into the hot oil and add the butter, sauté the fish for 2 -3 minutes, flip it over for a further 30 seconds on the reverse side, remove the golden brown cod from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

Assembly of the dish

• Sauté cod
• Jerusalem artichoke crisps
• Jerusalem artichokes puree, heated
• Pickled Jerusalem artichokes, drained and keep the pickle liquor
• Pea shoots
• Mustard cress
• 1 granny smith apple

Choose the serving plates and lightly warm them.

Prepare the pea shoots and mustard cress, wash and drain them, set aside.

Cut the apple in small batons and drizzle a bit of the pickling liquor over the apple batons.

Heat the puree and cook the cod.

Spoon a table spoon of the warm puree on the warm plates, place the pea shoots on top followed by the cod, garnish the dish with the pickled Jerusalem artichokes and apple batons and then finally place a few artichoke crisps on top and drizzle lightlywith the pickling liquor round the plate.

Serves 6 starter portions