Sartoria on Savile Row is known for Chef Patron Francesco Mazzei's fabulous Italian cooking. We've already persuaded him to share his incredible recipes for tiramisu and eggs purgatorio, and now he's letting us in on the secret of his liquorice-cured cod...
INGREDIENTS
900g black cod fillet, with skin
4 little gem hearts
For the cod:
70gr coarse sea salt
30gr fine sea salt
For the marinade:
50ml dry prosecco
100ml liquorice liqueur
3 liquorice sticks
½ tsp liquorice powder
25gr clear honey
1 red chilli, halved
For the onion jam:
1kg tropea red onion
30ml extra virgin olive oil
5gr clear honey
Fine salt
10gr caster sugar
5ml red vinegar
20gr cooked beetroot
METHOD
1) Remove any bones from the cod fillet, place in a shallow dish and cover it with the mixture of fine and course salts. Set aside for 45 minutes.
2) While you wait, mix all of the remaning ingredients for the marinade together in a shallow dish.
3) After the 45 minutes have passed rinse the cod with cold water then pat dry and place in the marinade. Turn the fish several times to ensure it is well-coated, then leave for about two hours.
4) In this time, peel the onions and slice them very thinly. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil, add the onions and salt, then let them braise on a low heat.
5) When the onions are cooked add the sugar and honey and let it all caramelise, before adding the vinegar, let it evaporate and remove the pan from the heat. Put the reduced onion mixture into blender, add the beetroot and blend until very smooth.
6) Preheat the oven to 200°C. Drain the cod from the marinade and place in a roasting tin lined with baking paper. Bake for about five minutes until slightly pink in the middle, then place under a very hot grill for about three minutes to finish the cooking.
7) At the same time put your little gem under the grill, or use a blowtorch on the leaves and cook until slightly burnt
8) In a serving dish, place the onion jam, the cod and the lettuce.