Philip Brazil, Head Chef at Sheen Falls Lodge in Kenmare loves working with local Irish produce. He’s lucky: on his doorstep in Kerry he has an abundance of fish, meat and vegetables that are the envy of his fellow chefs working in other parts of Ireland. In this recipe, he uses organic rope mussels from Kush Shellfish in Kenmare but you can use any good quality, very fresh farmed or wild mussels.

Serves 4

Ingredients

275g fresh breadcrumbs
110g flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
15g Dijon mustard
Sea salt and white pepper
4 x 180g cod fillet, skin on, scaled and bones removed
1 tablespoon plain flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
30g butter
3 tablespoons hot fish stock (fresh or from a stock cube)
2 lemons, juice only
2 tablespoons double cream
100g Kush Mussels, cooked and shelled
50g chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. Make the sea salt crust: whizz the breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Add the olive oil and Dijon mustard and season to taste. Blend until the mixture resembles a smooth paste, adding a little cold water if you need to. Place the mixture on a large sheet of greaseproof paper, cover with another sheet, and roll out until large enough to cover the four cod portions. Set aside.

2. Coat the cod fillets lightly in the flour. Shake off any excess. Heat a non-stick frying pan; add olive oil, gently place the cod in the pan and cook over medium heat for 1-2 mins on each side or until completely cooked through. Cut the sea salt crust into 4 pieces – place each piece on a fillet of cod, skin-side up and place under a hot grill until golden.

3. Make the sauce: heat the butter in a small pan, add the fish stock and lemon juice and reduce by half. Add the double cream, heat gently and stir. Fold in the cooked mussels and chives. To serve, spoon some of the colcannon mash into the centre of four warm plates. Place the crusted cod on top and drizzle with warm mussel and chive sauce.