Fish fillet with cauliflower mash

We bought a nice fresh cauliflower while shopping yesterday – a little pricey but a good size that will last for two meals. We had already bought some fish fillets and in the back of our minds was a recipe for cauliflower puree to go with them except we wanted it with a little more texture. The puree works well with scallops with bacon. So we made the same recipe but instead of pureeing the mixture in the processor we used a potato masher to obtain a fine mash. And as a garnish we fried a couple of streaky bacon rashers until really crispy.

The fish we fried in a little olive oil, 2 minutes each side, and cooked in the pan some cherry tomatoes at the same time. Take the fish out when cooked and keep warm and add a battuta of; 3 anchovies, a peeled clove of garlic, 1 tbsp of capers, the zest of 1 lemon and some parsley all chopped finely together. Cook for a minute, add 100 ml of fish stock and allow to reduce slightly then add a good knob of butter and stir in until thickened. Spoon over the fish and serve with the cauliflower mash garnished with the crispy bacon.

If it sounds time-consuming don’t be put off  because it isn’t. We were out for aperos with friends and we cooked this from scratch in about 30 minutes when we got home.

Cauliflower mash

• 1 medium head of cauliflower separated into small florets
• 25g butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 100ml single cream or creme fraiche
• salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the cauliflower and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Add the milk and continue to cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. Season lightly and pour in the cream or creme fraiche. Partially cover the saucepan and continue to cook for another 3 minutes or until the florets are soft but not pulpy. Crush to a fine mash with a potato masher or puree in a food processor to a smooth puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Note: the recipe is for 6 so we halved it.

Single Post Navigation

← Older Entry

Newer Entry →