Salt cod fritters with roasted peppers
Ingredients
For the rigatoni
- 400g/14oz rigatoni
- 2–3 Italian pork sausages
- 1 white onion, smashed
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- pinch fennel seeds, crushed
- 1–2 black truffles
- 200ml/7fl oz fresh cream
- ½ glass white wine
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú pecorino cheese, grated
- 3–4 tbsp, extra virgin olive oil
For the roasted peppers
- 5 Italian long peppers, mixture of red and yellow
- 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
- 50ml/2fl oz sherry vinegar
- 50ml/2fl oz balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- rock salt
For the fritters
- 400g/14oz cod fillet
- 500ml/20fl oz milk
- 150ml/ water
- 55g/2oz butter
- 60²µ/2¼´Ç³ú plain flour
- 2 free-range eggs, gently beaten
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 2 lemons, zest only
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- rock salt
- 75g parmesan cheese
To serve
- 4 brown anchovies
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú Mozzarella, torn
- 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
- focaccia bread
Method
To make the rigatoni, begin by removing the casing from the sausages and crumble the meat filling. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften then add the crumbled sausage meat. Brown the sausage, while stirring with a wooden spatula to prevent it from sticking. Pour in the wine. Allow the alcohol to evaporate while stirring. Lower the heat, cover, and finish cooking the sausage in its own juices for 10 minutes.
Uncover, taste and season with salt and pepper as required. Pour in the cream and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Add a few truffle shavings (if using) and half the pecorino. Reduce the sauce for 3–4 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover and set aside.
Cook the pasta in the salted boiling water until al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Save some of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Add it to the pan with the sausage and cream sauce. Over a low heat, mix the pasta and sauce together– you can add a little pasta cooking water if it seems too thick
To make the peppers, preheat the oven. Coat the peppers with the oil and some rock salt and place in a roasting tin. Roast in a very hot oven until evenly blistered all over but not blackened, carefully turning while cooking. Place the peppers in a bowl while still hot. Add the oil, vinegars, garlic and rosemary to the bowl and season with salt. Cover tightly with a lid of clingfilm and leave until cool. Peel the peppers, drain the juices and reserve. Once peeled, add into the juices and vac pac. Remove the garlic and rosemary.
To make the fritters, place the cod in a baking dish, season with the rock salt and leave for 20 minutes. Once salted, gently wash the salt off and pat dry.
Place the milk and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cod, turn down to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the fish from the milk mixture and set aside to cool. When cool, flake the fish and reserve the poaching liquid. Set aside the flaked cod.
Pour 150ml/5fl oz poaching liquid into a clean saucepan and top up with water if there is not enough liquid. Add the butter and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, add the flour and beat rapidly, until the mixture comes away from the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat, leave to cool and then gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well after addition. Add the flaked cod, parsley and lemon zest to the mixture.
Preheat the vegetable oil to 180C in a large deep saucepan or deep fat fryer. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Slowly drop a dessertspoon of the salt cod mixture into the hot fat. Fry until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and carefully transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of Parmesan and serve with the roasted red peppers.
Serve together and enjoy.
