A kilometre outside Toledo, on top of a hill, there is a parador with an enormous terrace, from which there is a spectacular view of the city with its towers, battlements, churches and castles. The parador staff were kind enough to let me use their kitchen and there I prepared a dish using one of my favourite – and certainly one of the Spanish people's favourite – salt cod.

Ah, salt cod! I have fond memories of the Fridays of my childhood when the fishmonger set up his stall and we