Cod and Mash

casca de batata com puré de bacalhau e batata

A beautiful marriage not only of textures; creamy cod purée and crispy potato skin, but a fusion of two European culinary favourites. The baked potato has long been a British classic but history reveals the role that salt cod has played in Portuguese history goes even further back.Bringing together two staples that are an ocean apart makes for a very compatible international comfort food.You can purchase a baking potato anywhere, however you would have difficulty sourcing good salt cod in England outside of a speciality Portuguese,Spanish or Italian deli. I am going to suggest a slightly different approach to finishing off the baked potato that comes from a Portuguese recipe Batatas à muro.Instead of gently cutting open the potato with a knife, it is literally bashed ('à muro') This opens the potato and gives you the mashed texture that you need to when mixing it with an additional filling.

225g dried salt cod reconstituted in cold water for 24 hours

2 large baking potatoes

300ml milk
1/2 onion peeled 
a few sprigs of flat leaf parsley

85ml double cream
2 tablespoons olive oil,plus extra for drizzling

3 large cloves garlic,crushed
pinch of grated nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
freshly ground pepper

juice of 1 lemon

small bunch of parsley

handful of chives for garnish
spoonful of capers

While the potatoes are baking, place the cod in a saucepan. Add 100ml of the milk, enough water to cover the cod. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside and allow the salt cod to cool in the Once the salt cod is sufficiently cool to handle, take it out and discard the liquor. Flake the salt cod into a bowl, discarding any skin and bones.
Heat the remaining milk and the cream in a saucepan. In another saucepan, heat up the olive oil.Remove all the mash from the baked potatoes and mix it with the garlic and the salt cod.Beat in the hot olive oil and creamy milk until the mixture forms a smooth thick paste. Season with the nutmeg,cayenne and freshly ground pepper.Add the lemon juice to taste.Return the filling to the two potato shells and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until heated through.Chop the parsley chives and top the potatoes with the herbs and capers.