cod potato and spring onion stew

The inspiration for this one comes from conversations with Icelandic and Danish friends who prize their cod. Traditionally, they prepare it in lots of different ways − pickled, salted, dried or smoked. This stew is similar to the way in which they slowly stew salt cod after soaking it (so that the excess salt seasons the other ingredients in the soup, like the potatoes). Good salt cod is quite hard to find these days, so I've adapted the recipe to use fresh cod, but you can also use hake, bass or halibut.

In an appropriately sized large pan, slowly fry your onion and leek with around 5 tablespoons of olive oil for 5 minutes until soft and tender. With a teaspoon, remove and discard the fluffy tasteless core from the courgettes and grate the rest into the pan. Chop the potatoes into rough 2cm/1 inch dice and add to the pan. Give everything a good stir and then add the anchovies. Turn the heat up and add the white wine. Allow to cook down by half before adding your milk and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour until the potatoes are tender. At this point add your cod and simmer for a further 15 minutes until the flesh flakes away − feel free to stir and break up the fish, but it's quite nice to leave some big chunks as well. Season carefully to taste. Divide between your bowls, and serve with a small handful of parsley and spring onion dressed with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

Try this: Sprinkle a little orange zest over the parsley and spring onion. It really works with the cod.