Ocean Delights

Lee delights in using locally sourced ingredients, including Guernsey’s bountiful seafood supplies, to bring showstopping dishes to the dinner table. This beautiful hake dish is guaranteed to impress your guests.

Pan Seared Hake Loin, Caramelised Cauliflower Cream, Winter Cabbage and Coriander Broth with Local Sea Herbs

Ingredients: Serves 4

Hake:

• 1 hake loin
• 20g sea salt

Caramelised cauliflower cream:

• 1 cauliflower head, shredded finely
• 100g Guernsey unsalted butter
• 150ml Guernsey double cream
• Salt, pepper, and lemon juice for seasoning

Winter cabbage and coriander broth:

• 1 winter cabbage or white cabbage (depending on availability), cut into quarters
• 100g chervil
• 100g coriander
• 50g parsley
• 400ml vegetable oil

Method:

For the Hake:

1. Apply salt to the fish and leave it for 30 minutes to help draw moisture out and firm up the loin.
2. Remove the salt with damp kitchen paper and portion the fish into 170-180g pieces.
3. Rest the fish presentation-side down on J-cloths until ready to use.

For the Winter cabbage and coriander broth:

1. Seal the cabbage in vacuum pack bags, putting no more than 2 quarters into each.
2. Bring a pan of water to a boil and simmer the bags of cabbage for 90 minutes, ensuring they stay submerged.
3. While the cabbage is cooking, blend the oil, parsley, and coriander for 10 minutes on medium to high speed. The oil should be a deep green from the herbs and fragrant once done.
4. Leave the oil to infuse for a minimum of 1 hour.
5. Pass the oil through a fine sieve and keep it aside.
6. Once the cabbage is ready, it should be very tender with the juice released into the vacuum bags.
7. Carefully open the bags and pour the liquid into a colander with a bowl or container underneath. Carefully press the cabbages with a wooden spoon or ladle to get all the juices out.
8. Blend the juice with the chervil and pass it through a fine sieve.
9. Season the broth to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Caramelised cauliflower cream:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan until it is evenly foaming.
2. Add the shredded cauliflower and gently cook, stirring continuously, until all the pieces are soft and golden brown.
3. Put the cauliflower and cream into a blender and blend on full power for 6 minutes.
4. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon.

To cook the Hake:

1. Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, so the fish gets a nice color.
2. Add a teaspoon of oil and place the fish into the pan presentation-side down. You should hear it sizzle as soon as it touches the pan, otherwise, it isn’t hot enough.
3. Fry the fish for 3 minutes without moving it, then add a teaspoon of butter and flip the fish.
4. Turn off the heat and leave the fish in the pan for 4 minutes without touching it. This will cook the fish a little more and allow you to heat up the rest of the ingredients.

Plate, serve, and enjoy!