Step 2

Portion the fillet into even portions, no bone, blood meat or skin.

Step 3

Season the piece of fish with salt and pepper. Lightly spread the portion with Dijon mustard, then a spread of tomato fondue, mushroom duxelles.

Step 4

Top this with a neat tile of soft herb crust, place on butter paper in a shallow ovenproof dish.

Step 5

Add the white wine, fish stock and a splash of olive oil to the pan. Season this cooking liquid with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.

Step 6

Bring to the boil on top of the stove, then place in the oven preheated to 220°C and cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 7

Meanwhile prepare the sabayon sauce.

Step 8

To serve, place the cod on a warm plate and pour the sauce around. Place under a preheated grill until the crust and sauce are a golden brown colour. This should take approximately 1 minute.

Step 10

Tomato fondue

Step 12

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling salted water for about 30 seconds, then remove and discard skin and seeds. Chop the flesh into a small dice.

Step 13

Heat the olive oil in a pan and sweat the eschallots and garlic for a few minutes without colouring. Add the tomato dice and thyme. Cook very gently until all the moisture has been removed from the tomato and you are left with a dry tomato paste.

Step 14

Remove the sprig of thyme and put the mixture in a blender, blend until smooth.

Step 16

Mushroom duxelles

Step 18

Wipe the mushrooms and trim the stalks if necessary. Chop very finely in a processor or by hand.

Step 19

Heat in a dry pan until their liquid comes out and evaporates, and the mushrooms shrink.

Step 20

Add the cream and mix in to bind the mushrooms.

Step 22

Soft Herb Bread

Step 24

Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until thoroughly mixed.

Step 25

Spread out on to a greaseproof-paper-lined tray and open-freeze. Package in quantities suitable for later use, and return to the freezer. To portion the crust place a piece of fish onto the crust and cut around it using a sharp knife.

Step 27

MPW Fish Stock

Step 29

Sweat the vegetables in the butter until they are soft but not browned.

Step 30

Add the fish trimmings and cook for an additional minute before adding the wine, bring to the boil and reduce wine by half.

Step 31

Add the cold water and bring back to the boil again. Skim off any impurities.

Step 32

Add the lemon slices, herbs, star anise, and peppercorns and simmer for an additional 20 minutes only. Pass first through a sieve then through a fine chinoise. Store excess in fridge or freezer.

Step 34

Veloute for fish

Step 36

Cook the eschallots in the butter until softened, without colouring.

Step 37

Deglaze with the white wine and Noilly Prat and boil to reduce to a syrup.

Step 38

Add the fish stock and boil to reduce by half

Step 39

Add the cream, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce to a coating consistency. Pass through a fine sieve.

Step 41

Sabayon of grain mustard

Step 43

Gently beat the egg yolks with a few drops of water in a round-bottomed bowl over a bain-marie. As the egg yolks thicken and cook smoothly, add the warm clarified butter and remove from the heat.

Step 44

Separately reduce the veloute by half and allow to cool slightly. Add the smooth thickened egg mixture to this with the whipped cream and mustard. The texture should be thick but still pourable.