Pan-seared cod with chowder sauce

This dish is inspired by chowder, a hearty American fish soup, often enriched with pork and potatoes

Ingredients

• knob of butter
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 50g lardons or 2 smoked streaky bacon rashers, finely sliced
• 100ml white wine
• 1 large waxy potato, cut into small chunks
• 100g clams
• 100g sweetcorn
• 50ml double cream
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 x 150g thick-cut cod fillets from a sustainable source
• chives, finely chopped

Directions

STEP 1
Melt the butter in a pan. Cook the shallot and lardons or bacon for about 5 mins until softened. Add the wine, potato and 50ml water. Cover, then cook for 10 mins, stirring often, until nearly softened. Tip in the clams, cover, then cook for 5 mins until they have opened – discard any that don’t. Stir through the sweetcorn and cream, and keep warm.

STEP 2
Heat a non-stick frying pan until smoking. Add the oil, swirl it around, then put the fillets in, skin-side down. Season, then cook for 3-5 mins until the skin is crisp. Carefully turn over, then cook for 2 mins more until just cooked through. Spoon the creamy potato mixture into 2 shallow bowls. Place a cod fillet in each and sprinkle with chives.