Pan-fried Cod with Chorizo, Wild Mushrooms & a Poached Egg | Recipe

The cod I use in my restaurants is from Norway. There’s something magical about the cold, clean Norwegian waters, which are home to the most incredible fish. I have been lucky enough to visit Norway and go fishing for skrei, the migrating cod that come from the Barents Sea to spawn along the coast of Norway. This was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I feel so honoured to have done it. Cod is easily one of the most beautiful kinds of fish, but it’s important not overcook it (which so many people do), as you risk killing the subtle layers of sea flavours. Funnily enough, fresh cod is really hard to find in Spanish markets – in fact, I can’t remember ever seeing it there! What is very popular – and, I have to say, always in my mum’s fridge at home – is salted cod. So, if you can’t get fresh cod, salted cod is absolutely fine to use here.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil 
• 300g wild mushrooms such as níscalo (saffron milk cap) mushrooms or girolles 
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 200g stale bread, diced
• 200g chorizo, diced 
• 150g tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cod fillets (about 200g each)
• 4 free-range eggs
• handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a high heat and fry the mushrooms and garlic for 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp. Season, then scoop out of the pan and set aside on a plate. 

Add a further 2 tablespoons of the oil to the pan and fry the bread for 2–3 minutes until golden, then transfer to the plate with the mushrooms. Now add the chorizo to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until the fat has been released and the chorizo is golden. Add the tomatoes and plenty of seasoning and cook for another few minutes, then turn off the heat. 

Meanwhile, season the cod and heat the remaining oil in a separate frying pan. Fry, skin-side down, for 3–4 minutes until golden. At the same time, poach the eggs in a pan of barely simmering water. 

Flip the fish over and fry for 2 minutes on the other side until just cooked and golden. 

Return the mushrooms and fried bread to the first frying pan and toss with the tomatoey chorizo. Divide this mixture between 4 plates, then top each one with a golden cod fillet and a poached egg. Scatter with parsley and serve.