My Scorched Cod, Roasted and Pickled Cauliflower with Bone Sauce dish includes coastal greens. Myself and the team forage sea herbs from local Murlough Bay for the restaurant, if the coast isn’t available to you some samphire makes an excellent alternative or even some baby spinach. Sea purslane and Sea beets as seen in the image are available most of the year all around the UK and Irish coastline. When using foraged sea herbs always wash thoroughly with a little salt and vinegar in the water, to kill of any unwanted wilderness.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Cod
– 1 x 700g – 800g sustainably farmed cod fillet
– 10g sea salt
Bone Sauce
– 1kg white fish bones
– 500ml white fish stock
– 100ml white wine
– 2 cloves garlic
– 1 small white onion
– 1 bulb fennel
– 1 leek
– 1 sprig thyme
– 4 tbsp double cream
– 50g unsalted butter
Cauliflower Puree
– 1 head white cauliflower
– 30g unsalted butter
– 50ml double cream
Pickled Cauliflowers
– 50g caster sugar
– 100ml white wine vinegar
– 150ml water
– 1 shallot
– 1 sprig tarragon or thyme
– 1 purple cauliflower
– 1 romanesco
Coastal Greens
– Foraged sea herbs; sea purslane or sea beets. Samphire or baby spinach if unavailable.
– 10g salt
– 100g water
– 20g butter
Special Equipment
– Small cooks gas blowtorch
Method:
Cod
1. Use a sharp preferably flexible knife to remove the skin from the cod fillet. Using tweezer remove any pin bones that run along the centre of the fillet. Ask your fishmonger to do this if unsure.
2. Cut the fillet into 4 even slices weighing around 120g each.
3. Place each fillet individually on a square of baking foil season with sea salt, drizzle with a little oil and fold up the edges to make a parcel.
Bone Sauce
1. Wash the bones in cold water, place on a roasting tray and cook in an oven at 180′ for 10 – 12 mins until a deep golden brown
2. Dice the vegetables and cook over a low heat with a little oil, stirring often for 10-15 mins until they begin to caramelise. They should be soft and brown in colour.
3. Add the white wine and fish stock to the vegetables with the thyme and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Pass the stock through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan to reduce
Cauliflower Puree
1. Trim all the florets from the head of cauliflower. Cut down until approx 1-2cm in size.
2. Melt butter in saucepan add the florets and cook until soft and evenly golden brown in colour.
3. Add cream and bring to the boil.
4. Transfer to a blender to make a smooth puree. Add salt to your taste.
Pickled Cauliflowers
1. Place all the ingredients aside from the cauliflower in a pan and bring to the boil allow to cool slightly.
2. When lukewarm add small florets or fine slices of the purple cauliflower and romanesco
To Build:
1. Reduce oven temperature to 160′
2. Reduce the roasted bone stock to 300ml add the cream and reduce until begins to thicken. Whisk in butter for a glossy finish. Keep warm.
3. Warm the puree in a small pan, wilt the greens in a little butter until soft.
4. Place the cod parcels into the oven for 8 mins.
5. Remove and open the parcel to reveal the top. Use the blowtorch to get an even dark crust on top. Taking care to work quickly and not overcook the fish. You can use a toothpick to check when the fish is ready. It should slide in the centre of the fillet with no resistance.
6. Spoon over the fillet the juices collected in the foil then remove cod from parcel onto warm plates.
7. Add a spoonful of the bone sauce. And small spoonful’s of the cauliflower puree.
8. Dress as you wish with the pickled florets, slices of romanesco and greens and serve.
Chef Danni Barry is one of an elite group of female Michelin starred chefs in the UK, and only the second female chef ever in Ireland to gain a star.
Growing up on a farm in Mayobridge in the Mourne country in Northern Ireland, Danni Barry’s cooking career began with Michael Deane in 2003, who gained a Michelin Star in 1997 and held it for fourteen consecutive years. After four years in Deanes, she travelled to cook in restaurants throughout South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, then later to Spain, spending time learning from the cultures, chefs and restaurants where she worked along the way.
Danni was appointed to head up the kitchen at Simon Rogan’s restaurant in Cartmel, Rogan & Co., internationally famous for its locally sourced, seasonal produce. Danni worked there for two years until Michael Deane headhunted her to come back to Belfast to take the helm at Deanes EIPIC in 2014, where she gained the Michelin Star within just eighteen months of the opening, adding the 15th Star to Deanes.
Danni’s own style is progressive, honest, flavoursome, light, visual, balanced and modern. She credits having an understanding from an early age of where food comes from as having the biggest impact on her style of cooking. This farming background, allied to her training under Michelin starred chefs, has instilled the knowledge and developed the skill Danni shows in her ability to transform the raw ingredients she sources into the EIPIC dishes she creates at Deanes.
To find out more about Danni and Deanes EIPIC visit www.michaeldeane.ie, or follow Deanes Restaurants on Twitter and Facebook.