Nick Nairn’s Roast Hake, Romanesco Cauliflower, Brown Butter and Capers

Serves

4

Ingredients

ROASTED ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER
1/2 romanesco cauliflower
25g unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sifted icing sugar

ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER PUREE
25g unsalted butter
50g shallots, finely chopped
1/2 romanesco cauliflower, trimmed and finely chopped (tough stalk discarded)
150ml double cream

ROAST HAKE
4 x 200g hake portions, skinned and boned
25g seasoned flour
1 tbsp light olive oil
12g unsalted butter

BROWN BUTTER
50g unsalted butter
juice of 1/4 lemon
2 tbsp rinsed capers
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas 6. To make the roasted romanesco cauliflower, trim down and cut into 24 even-sized small florets. Blanch in a pan of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and quickly refresh under cold running water. Tip on to kitchen paper to remove any excess water. Heat the butter in a large roasting tin directly on the hob over a medium heat. Tip in the blanched florets, tossing to coat then dust with the icing sugar and season with salt. Allow to cook until the bottom of the tin is just starting to catch and caramelise. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until cooked through and lightly caramelised all over.

Meanwhile, make the romanesco cauliflower puree. Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the shallots until softened but not coloured. Add the romanesco cauliflower and then pour in the cream and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 9-10 minutes until tender. Blitz with a hand blender to a smooth puree and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Heat a large frying pan. Dust the hake in the flour, shaking off any excess. Add the oil to the pan and then add the dusted hake fillets, presentation side down. Sear for a couple of minutes until nicely golden and then flip over, add small knobs of the butter and cook quickly for another minute or two, basting continuously – you may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan. Arrange on a baking sheet and put in the oven for another 4-6 minutes to finish cooking – the time will depend on the thickness of the fillets. Remove from the oven and leave to rest in a warm place for about 5 minutes.

To make the brown butter, melt the butter in a frying pan until sizzling and it begins to turn a brown nutty colour but is not burnt. Stir in the lemon juice and then add the capers. Season with salt and pepper.

Add a large spoonful of the romanesco cauliflower puree on each warmed serving plate and arrange a piece of rested hake on top. Add three of the roasted romanesco cauliflower florets to each plate and spoon around the brown butter and capers to serve.