Roast Cod, Served On Lancashire Cheese Mash

THIS week my chosen recipe is simple to make, not too expensive and competes favourably with fish and chips.

It has the same basic ingredients but is far superior and should certainly be a contender for a Good Friday meal.

However, this is the type of dish that can so easily end up being mediocre - as opposed to outstanding - if, for example, you use a cheap and nasty Lancashire cheese instead of the stated Grandma Singleton's Crumbly.

So this week please do not deviate from the given recipe and the results will make it all worthwhile, I assure you.

I am also giving you a recipe for mashed potatoes, even though you no doubt have made them many times before.

How many of you boil the potatoes with the skin on, then peel them?

As I thought - not many.

If you do, only the heat - and not the cooking water - will penetrate.

Remember this for life.

Dry spuds make good mash. Wet ones will give you slush.

Furthermore, this method prevents nutrients and vitamins being lost in the cooking water.

Peeling a potato after cooking is a doddle. The skin literally slides off.

Don a pair of rubber gloves and the job is done in seconds. The main ingredients this week are, of course, fish, potatoes and cheese and I think it worthwhile to talk briefly about each individually.

FISH: This should be bought as fresh as possible, cooked and eaten - ideally the same day.

Fish is not an ingredient to have hanging around in your fridge for days.

Keep it for three days at the very maximum. After that time, just like house guests, it begins to loose its appeal.

Unless you fancy joining me on a trip to Manchester Fish Market at 5.30am, you will have to buy yours from either a fishmonger or a supermarket. All major towns in East Lancashire are well catered-for with fishmongers and supermarkets in recent years have shown much more enthusiasm with regard to fish and seafood.

POTATOES: In my opinion, King Edwards make the best mashed potatoes.

However, if you can't find them, on rare occasions you can use Maris Pipers, which are almost as good.

Do not, under any circumstances, use "waxy" potatoes for mash unless you have a penchant for eating wallpaper paste.

I have on previous occasions mentioned that potatoes - in fact all vegetables - are best bought loose, not in plastic bags where they "sweat" and deteriorate quickly.

CHEESE: Like vegetables, cheese can be bought either in a plastic wrapper or freshly cut from the block.

Wherever possible, go for the latter option for a superior taste.

ROAST COD

(Serves four)

4 cod fillets 8oz

2 tablespoons olive oil.

Salt and pepper

WASH the cod fillets in cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Rub the olive oil into the cod so they are lightly coated then season.

Place the cod in a roasting tray in the oven 225 C gas 7 for approximately 10 minutes.

LANCASHIRE CHEESE MASH

2lb floury potatoes (King Edwards preferred)

4oz butter.

4-6oz grated Grandma Singletons Lancashire Cheese Drop of hot milk (optional)

Salt and pepper

RINSE the potatoes and put them in a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil.

Cook until the potatoes are tender to the point of a knife. Remove from the water and peel either holding in a tea towel or wear rubber gloves.

Replace back in the pan (no water) and hold briefly over the heat to completely dry out.

Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk and grated cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste.

The cheese mash is simply piled in the centre of the plate and the cod is placed on top of the potato.

However, white cod and white potato does, I am sure you will agree, look a tad bland - even though it does taste delicious. To overcome this problem do what I do.

In a pan melt packet of butter, add a tablespoon chopped parsley, thyme

and three chopped tomatoes (no skin or seeds, though).

Pour the hot melted butter liberally over and around the cod and mash and sprinkle with more freshly chopped parsley and you should now have a picture on a plate and the combination of all the ingredients works wonderfully.

Peake Practice is compiled by restaurateur Ray Peake, of Callums Bistro, Accrington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.