Recipe: Pan-roasted cod with artichokes, by David Hurley at Gregans Castle

“For this dish, we pan roast a fillet of cod which has been lightly salted for a few hours to firm up a little, preventing it flaking apart when cooking. We serve this with some poached artichokes, clams steamed in white wine and some samphire, a zingy, slightly salty plant that can be gathered here on the shoreline in the west of Ireland if you know where to look.”

In the morning, sprinkle the prepared cod with the sea salt, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. This will draw some moisture from the fish; the longer it sits the firmer the flesh will become.

Gently cook the sliced shallot, garlic and fennel seeds in the olive oil until softened. Add the white wine along with the smoked bacon and continue cooking until half the wine has evaporated. Add the chicken stock and seasoning, bring to a boil, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Add the tomato, basil and lemon juice.

Remove the tough outside petals from an artichoke, then use a small, sharp knife to peel away all the tough skin. Once peeled, pop it straight into the prepared stock. The lemon juice will help keep the flesh from turning brown.

Repeat this until all four artichokes are ready.