A first recipe to keep you going

Right then, here goes nuthin...

Pan fried cod fillet

This one is a homage to Rick Stein, courtesy of his Seafood book, but with a few tweeks - mostly to the sauce and seasoning, which is much richer and sweeter than in the original. A similar dish to this got slated in the semis of Masterchef last year as a fusion too far, but I think it's a great combo - it's about the contrasting flavours, textures, richness and creaminess, really decadent, but simple to do.

(Serves 2)

Two decent sized fillets of cod - about 200g each - pin boned, but skin still on.

1 tbsp of sunflower oil

Flour for dusting

Sprinkling of five spice

4 floury potatoes for mashing

2-3 spring onions

2 tbsp soy sauce

Bunch of fresh coriander

2 tbsp of brown sugar or palm sugar (or about the same of honey)

600ml fish or veg stock

3-4 cherry tomatoes sliced into quarters

Butter and/or milk for the mashed potatoes

Salt and pepper to season

Combine the soy sauce and stock and bring to boil, then add the sugar. Reduce by about two thirds, until it's a thin syrup, then keep hot.

Fry the spring onion lightly in a little butter until just tender - don't brown them as it will taste bitter - then leave to one side.

Peel and boil the potatoes until ready to break apart, drain , then mash well, adding the butter and/or milk (I use butter in this recipe as you don't want the mash to be thin). Then combine the potatoes with the spring onion.

Preheat a heavy frying pan on a medium heat and Season the fish, then turn flesh side down and dust with the flour and tiny pinch of five spice. Place gently in the pan skin-side down and cook until done - you can turn them over if you want to, but be careful when you turn them back or serve them that they don't break up on you...

Add the coriander and tomatoes to the sauce and stir.

Serve with a nice bed of mash in the middle, place the fish on top of the bed and pour the sauce liberally over the lot. then eat.