Christophe Schmitt is Executive chef at Terre Blanche, Provence, and this is one of his easy and tasty recipes, ideal for entertaining and will certainly impress friends and family.

Serves 4

Crispy cauliflower:
1 head of cauliflower
1 egg
200g flour
150g white breadcrumbs
150g shredded parmesan
1 litre frying oil
Cut off the cauliflower florets and save the stalks for the purée.
Cook the florets in salted boiling water until soft, then leave to cool for a couple of minutes.
Sponge off any excess water with paper towel.
Flour your cauliflower pieces, and mix your breadcrumbs and parmesan together in a bowl.
Dip the cauliflower pieces in a beaten egg, and then in the breadcrumb and parmesan mixture.
Fry in oil at 170°C for 2 minutes, then salt once removed.

Creamy cauliflower:
½ litre milk
15g butter
Cut the cauliflower stalks into big chunks.
Cook until soft in a salted water and milk mixture.
Drain and keep some water to the side, mix with butter.
Add more of the water if needed.


Pickled purple cauliflower and shavings:
1 small piece of purple cauliflower
60g Banyuls vinegar
60g water
15g grenadine syrup
Salt
Cut a couple of thin slices of purple cauliflower with a mandolin, then cut up the rest of the cauliflower florets
to the desired size.
Boil the vinegar, water and syrup with a pinch of salt then pour it onto the florets.
Let it cool down and air dry.
Grenobloise sauce with olive oil:
50g sliced almonds
15g capers
1 bunch of dill
50g sandwich bread

20ml frying oil
2 lemons

Method

Lightly toast the almonds in the oven.
Crush the capers coarsely.
Chop the chives.
Cut the bread into cubes and pan-fry to make croutons.
Remove the peel from the lemon and cut the segments into small pieces.
Mix everything together and add olive oil.

How to cook the fish:

4 hake steaks (approx. 160g each)
2 shallots
20ml white wine
150g rock salt
Mince the shallots then cook in a pan with white wine and reduce by half.
Salt the hake for 5 minutes, then rinse and sponge with paper towel.
Put half the shallots on an edged plate and add a bit of white wine at the bottom.
Put the hake steaks in and add the rest of the shallots.
Cook in the oven at 150°C for 5 minutes.
Use a toothpick to check the fish is cooked – there should be a slight resistance.

Last touch:

1 piece of yellow cauliflower
Cut off the florets and cook in salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.

Dressing the plate:
On a white plate, start by putting some cauliflower purée, then add the crunchy cauliflower cut in 2, then
delicately place the rest of the elements according to the picture.
Finally, add the fish and cover in the grenobloise sauce.