Meals for Under £10: Roast Cod, Garlic and Cider Mussels

THIS recipe uses wild garlic, which you can find between now and June, growing in woodland. You can also buy it in farmers’ markets.

Once cooked, this is best served with warm, crusty bread and a glass of something chilled and lovely.

Thanks to executive chef of House at Buzzworks, Duncan McKay. Buzzworks has several restaurants and bars across Ayrshire.

You’ll need

4 x 200g cod fillet portions, skin on

Extra virgin Scottish rapeseed oil

600g fresh mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded

500g washed, shredded wild garlic leaves

20g garlic puree

Vegetable stock powder

400g sprouting broccoli, stems trimmed

100g shallot, finely diced

100g unsalted butter

300ml dry cider

Method

Preheat oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ½. Season cod portions with sea salt, and rapeseed oil. Allow to come up to room temp for 30 mins.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add a drizzle of oil. The pan is hot enough when the oil just begins to smoke. Fry cod, skin side down, for 3 mins. Turn and cook for a further 3 mins. Transfer fish to a oven.

Heat a heavy-based saucepan till very hot, add mussels, garlic, stock and a sprinkle of sea salt. Quickly put on lid and cook on high for 4 mins. All the mussels should open. Strain off and retain the stock, and keep mussels covered in warm place until ready to serve.

In another pan heat a small amount of oil. Add shallots, wild garlic and broccoli and sauté for a couple of minutes. Once the garlic begins to soften add the mussel stock, bring to the boil and reduce down for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat, add butter, stir until melted.

Place mussels in four shallow bowls, spoon over the wild garlic and cider sauce, place cod fillet, skin side up, on top, and spoon over a little more sauce.