Yiayia Niki's bakaliaros plaki (cod bake) from Kalamata

“Deep into the mountains, up winding passes and a rough, rugged terrain between which olive trees and drooping eucalyptus burst forth, Niki is the only inhabitant of her village on the rugged Mani Peninsula. She lives in a stone house, with centuries-old embroidery framed and hanging from the walls, along with traditional wooden instruments, religious icons and sepia photographs, faded even more by the sun. Niki is a healer. She says she’s never been to a doctor in her life and swears by the power of raw vegetables and fruit. She is a rare breed here in Greece, less obsessed with feeding me an overwhelming amount of food and more concerned about making sure she gives me the right thing to truly nourish. Seconds into our meeting, she’s passing me a beetroot, carrot and apple juice she’s made. Then Marco the pony makes an entrance, helping himself to the basket of apples on the floor. Petting him and calling him ‘Markaki’, Niki doesn’t seem to mind one bit and I feel like I’ve walked into a scene from a 1990s children’s TV show. We eat Niki’s flavour-rich dish in the dappled shade of her balcony, overlooking inky blue water in the distance. The currants perfectly balance the salted cod, but if you’re not a fan of salt cod, I’ve also made this recipe with cod fillets and added salt myself. I’ve also made this into a plentiful vegan dish by omitting the fish and adding an extra potato and red (bell) pepper. ”