Seared cod cheeks with dehydrated gordal olive and romesco sauce

Cod cheeks

Oil both sides of the cod cheeks and season

Sear both sides over high heat (cook as scallop)

Gordal olives

Slice into disks about ½ cm thick and place on parchment paper on baking tray.

Put in an oven on about 80C, until dried and crispy (usually over night)

Romesco Sauce

• 2 tablespoons of Pimenton Picante
• 1 fresh red chilli chopped
• 3 large tomatoes (not beef tomatoes)
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 dozen hazlenuts
• 1 dozen almonds
• 1 sprig of mint chopped
• 1 slice of dried bread, made into breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 75ml of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Method

• Roast tomatoes and garlic in oven for 15 minutes on 170C
• Skin tomatoes and remove seeds
• Skin garlic
• Put tomatoes, garlic, pimentón, chilli, nuts mint, bread, parsley and half oil into processor and blend to a smooth puree
• Add remaining oil, vinegar and season if needed
• Mix together

Plating

• Small rectangular plate
• Put romesco sauce on bottom (enough to be seen below cod cheeks)
• Put 2 cod cheeks on sauce
• Put dried olive disks on top
• Squeeze droplets of oil in sauce