Using fish cheeks is a bit of a chef’s secret. They are the prized part of the fish and are often on the menu at the chefs’ lunches at my restaurants. Although they’re a really underrated part of the fish they’re often wasted so this is a great recipe to try if you haven’t cooked with cod cheeks before.
I particularly love cod, monkfish and turbot cheeks. If you ask your local fishmongers, they should be able to get cod cheeks for you. They are really meaty, which is why they work so well with the pancetta.
As we are now officially in spring, I have served them here with a ragout of peas and broad beans, but they work really well with almost any vegetables. You can also use frozen peas and broad beans if you can’t get fresh.
Serves 4
Ingredients
16 cod cheeks, skinned
8 pancetta rashers
Olive oil
80g unsmoked lardons
40g carrot, peeled and cut into 0.5cm cubes
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
120g podded broad beans, thawed if frozen
120g shelled peas, thawed if frozen
About 350ml chicken stock, ideally homemade
120g lettuce, shredded
1 radish, trimmed & thinly sliced
A knob of butter
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
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Method
1 Ask your fishmonger to bone out and skin the cod cheeks for you, or if they aren’t available buy 570g skinless cod loin fillets and cut them into 16 bite-sized pieces. The cheeks can be rolled in the pancetta up to 3 hours in advance and chilled until required.
2 Arrange the pancetta rashers on a work surface. Place two cheeks together then place on a rasher and roll up, slightly pressing to seal the end. Repeat the process until all the cheeks are rolled, then set aside in the fridge.
3 When you are ready to cook, heat a large saucepan with a lid over a medium-high heat, then add a splash of olive oil. When it is hot, add the lardons and sauté until they render the fat and are coloured. Add the carrot and shallot and sauté for two minutes. Add the broad beans and peas and season with salt and pepper.
4 Add the chicken stock, turn up the heat and cover the pan. Leave the beans and peas to cook for four minutes, or just until the peas are tender. Add the lettuce, radish and butter and stir together. Adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.
5 Meanwhile, heat another well-seasoned pan over a medium-high heat, then add a splash of oil. When it is hot, add the wrapped cod cheeks and gently stir them for 6 min, or until the pancetta is crispy. Once cooked, remove them from the pan, cover with kitchen foil and leave to rest for 2 min.
6 Divide the peas and other vegetables among some serving bowls, then top each with the pancetta-wrapped cod cheeks.
