Cod, potato and leek soup

Serves 4-6

This is a delicious, fishy winter warmer and it costs virtually nothing. You will be amazed how much meat you can get from the head once it's been cooked and the gelatinous stock gives the soup a lovely velvety texture.

1 cod's head, halved
1 large onion, peeled, halved and roughly chopped
1 large leek, roughly chopped and washed
10 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 large floury potato, peeled and roughly chopped
Stalks from the parsley
2 litres fish stock
10 white peppercorns
A glass of white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

1 large leek, halved, cut into rough 2cm chunks and washed
1 large potato, peeled, thinly sliced and cut into rough 2cm squares
2tbsp chopped parsley
3-4tbsp double cream

Put all of the ingredients for the soup in a large saucepan, bring to the boil, season and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the head and leave to cool a little, leaving the soup to simmer. Remove as much meat from the head as possible and return the bones to the pan. Simmer the soup, skimming and stirring every so often, until the potatoes have disintegrated and thicken the soup.

Strain the soup through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean saucepan, pushing as much through the sieve as possible with the back of a ladle.

Add the second leek to the soup and simmer for about 10 minutes then add the potato. Continue simmering until the potatoes and leek are cooked. Add the parsley, cream and cod meat and simmer for a couple more minutes. Season to taste and serve.