Recipe: West Coast halibut cheeks and cauliflower purée

Quarantine cooking doesn’t mean you have to eat pasta every night.

Caren McSherry from the Gourmet Warehouse is here with a quick and easy recipe for halibut cheeks and cauliflower purée that will make you feel like you’re dining at a fine seafood restaurant.

Halibut cheeks

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh halibut cheeks
• 1/2 cup wasabi mayonnaise
• Panko for breading
• Grapeseed oil for frying
• 1 lemon cut into quarters

Method

1. Lightly smear the cheeks on both sides with the mayo then dredge in the Panko and shake off the excess.
2. Heat a 12-inch non-stick pan to medium-high heat, add the cheeks and lemon wedges.
3. Fry for about 3 minutes, using your fish spatula flip the cheeks over, frying both sides.
4. Turn the lemon wedges so that they caramelize on both sides.
5. Transfer to your serving place along with a piece of lemon.

Cauliflower puree

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, broken in florets, including stems
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons chicken stock paste
• 1 cup mascarpone or sour cream
• 2 cups fresh spinach, stemmed

Method

1. Bring the cauliflower, water and chicken stock to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is totally cooked through. Using a slotted spoon remove the cauliflower and set aside.
2. Bring the water back to the boil, add the spinach, turn off the heat and let the spinach wilt in the hot water. This should take 2-3 minutes.
3. Fill a bowl with ice water and transfer the spinach with a slotted spoon to the bowl. Let it stand in the ice water for about 5 minutes.  Drain well to remove as much water as possible.
4. Place the reserved cauliflower, cooked spinach and mascarpone in a blender or vita mix. Purée until the mixture should is silky smooth.  Adjust the seasoning and transfer to a bowl until serving time.
5. Makes 4-6 servings