- 200g/7oz dry salt-cod
- ½ bunch flatleaf parsley, leaves picked
- 200ml/7fl oz olive oil
- pinch salt
- 1 large baking potato
- 100g/3½oz salt
- 1 litre/1¾ pints full-fat milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig thyme
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised
- 400ml/14fl oz olive oil
- 200ml/7fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- ground white pepper
- 16g sachet squid ink
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 350g/12oz small squid, cleaned, cut into pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 baguette, thinly sliced, toasted, rubbed with garlic
- ground Espelette pepper (Basque chilli pepper)
- Soak the cod in water and leave in the fridge for 48 hours, changing the water at least four times.
- For the parsley oil, blanch the parsley in boiling water until very tender. Drain and squeeze dry. Put in a blender with the olive oil and pinch of salt. Blend for two minutes. Hang in a muslin cloth over a bowl. Leave overnight and collect the parsley oil.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C (fan)/Gas 6.
- Sit the potato on a pile of salt on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour, until tender. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin.
- Drain the cod. Put it in a saucepan and cover with milk. Add the bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Bring just up to the boil and then turn off the heat. Leave for a few minutes and then carefully flake the fish leaving behind any bones and skin. Sieve the milk and reserve.
- Put the cod in a food processor with a third of its volume of potato. Add a ladleful of poaching milk and start to blend. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, until you have a silky, smooth mixture. Add a little more milk or potato if necessary. Season with ground white pepper.
- For the ink vinaigrette, whisk together the squid-ink, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan and warm gently.
- Heat a griddle pan to hot. Lightly season the squid with salt and black pepper and cook on the griddle for 3-4 minutes, or until done to your liking.
- To serve, spoon the warm salt cod brandade onto hot plates and top with the squid and garlic croutons. Dress with a little of the ink vinaigrette and parsley oil. Sprinkle over the Espelette pepper and serve straight away.