North Sea cod with brown shrimp butter

Method

Prepare the brown shrimp butter by creaming 80g softened butter with the minced shallot, peeled brown shrimps, capers, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and a pinch of white pepper until emulsified; refrigerate on cling film to set. Pat the cod fillets dry and season the flesh side with Maldon salt and white pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat until just smoking, then place cod skin-side down and press gently for 30 seconds to prevent curling. Cook for 5-6 minutes without moving until the skin is crisp and golden, then flip and cook the flesh side for a further 2-3 minutes until just cooked through. Deglaze the pan with fish stock, scraping any fond, and reduce by half. Remove the cod to warm plates, top each fillet with a slice of chilled brown shrimp butter, and pour the reduced pan juices around. Serve immediately with seasonal greens or a simple watercress salad.