cod with crispy potato pancakes and saffron hollandaise

merluzzo con rösti e salsa olandese

TOTAL TIME: 60 minutes plus chilling

MAKES: 4 servings

Cod and saffron-infused hollandaise match perfectly with crisp potato pancakes.

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Ingredients

POTATO PANCAKES

3/4 pound waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold (about 2 medium)

Fine sea salt

3/4 cup packed baby spinach, cut into thin strips

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

SAUCE AND FISH

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

3 large egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon coarsely crumbled saffron threads

4 (¼- to ½-inch thick) cod fillets from tail section, each piece halved crosswise (about 1 pound total)

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

For Potato Pancakes: Place potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool completely, then chill, covered, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 200º with rack in middle.

Coarsely grate potatoes into a large bowl. Stir in spinach and ¼ teaspoon salt.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Drop 4 (1/4-cup) scoops potato mixture into hot oil, flattening with back of spatula to form 4 (3-inch-diameter) pancakes. Fry until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to a baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and potato mixture.

For Sauce and Fish: In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons butter; remove from heat (reserve remaining tablespoon butter). In a second small saucepan, combine wine, vinegar, shallot and bay leaf; bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Strain wine mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small skillet; discard solids. Add egg yolks, saffron and melted butter to wine mixture; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Leaving hollandaise in skillet, set aside.

Season fish with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add fish; cook, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove pan from heat.

Add remaining tablespoon butter to hollandaise. Over medium heat, whisk until butter is melted and sauce is just warmed through. Thin sauce with 1 tablespoon hot water, if desired. Stack fish and potato pancakes on serving plates. Serve with hollandaise.

March 2013