Hake with Cauliflower, Chard, and Harissa Mayonnaise

Method

Pre-heat an oven to 180 c, place the florets of cauliflower on to a baking tray and massage the olive oil into the florets, sprinkle over the merguez spice and preserved lemon and thoroughly rub into the cauliflower, season with sea salt and pepper. Place in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the florets just start to soften, do not let them turn to mush! Remove and set aside.

Mix the mayonnaise with the harissa and put to one side.

Take a heavy based frying pan, big enough to fit the fish with room to spare, and heat until it starts to smoke. Season the hake with sea salt, add a little light oil to the pan and then add the hake skin side down, place a little pressure on the top of the fish to keep the skin in contact with the pan.

Once the skin has crisped, turn the fish over, add the butter and remove from the heat and set aside for 3-4 minutes as the residual heat in the pan will complete the cooking.

Lightly wilt the spinach or chard in a little oil in a pan on the stove top.

To plate, place the cauliflower, add the chard and then the fish, pour over any remaining oil from the baking tray and butter from the fish and add a good dollop of the harrisa mayonnaise. Finish with a squeeze of lemon to give the dish a beautiful citrus hit.

To make the Merguez Spice

Toast all the seeds in a hot oven until they release their flavours, bash lightly in a pestle and mortar then mix with the rest of the spices. This is a great spice for veg, meat and fish well worth making a batch and keeping in the cupboard for every occasion.