Ingredients

• 2 cauliflowers
• 250ml/9fl oz whole milk
• 200g/7oz double cream
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• pinch salt
• 8-12 asparagus spears (medium size)
• woody ends removed
• salt
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 4 free-range eggs
• 100g/3½oz Japanese panko breadcrumbs
• pomace olive oil or duck fat
• for frying
• 75g/2½oz cornichons
• finely chopped
• 2 shallots
• finely chopped
• 30g/1oz parsley leaves
• chopped
• 30g/1oz chives
• finely chopped
• 2 lemons
• zest and juice
• 75g/2½oz lilliput capers
• drained
• dried and deep fried in pomace oil until crisp
• 4 x 150-200g/5½-7oz cod fillet pin boned
• skin removed
• Dijon mustard
• to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the cauliflower purée
• cut off all the florets quite small and fine
• discarding the stalks.
• Put the cauliflower in a pan and cover with the milk
• cream
• butter and salt and bring to a simmer.
• When the cauliflower is tender
• drain
• retaining the cooking liquid. Put the cauliflower into a blender and pulse. Add a little of the cooking liquid and blend to a smooth purée. Season with salt and keep warm until ready to serve.
• For the asparagus
• peel away all of the woody leaves from around the spears
• leaving the tip intact.
• Heat a pan of salted water and mix in the butter to form an emulsion. Cook the asparagus until tender
• about 2- 3 minutes.
• For the cod à la polonaise
• put the eggs in a saucepan and add enough water to cover the eggs by 1cm/½in. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for seven minutes. When cooked
• immediately cool the eggs under cold running water. Peel away the shell
• then separate the whites from the yolks. Using a fine grater
• grate both the yolks and whites separately.
• Shallow fry the breadcrumbs in duck fat or olive oil until golden-brown. Drain and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl
• add the grated eggs
• cornichons
• shallot
• parsley and chives
• lemon zest and the fried capers. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Season the cod fillet with salt and pepper. Heat a little pomace olive oil in an ovenproof pan. Fry the cod on both sides until well coloured. Transfer to the oven to cook through - for a large piece of fish this will take about 4-5 minutes.
• When the fish is cooked
• season again with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over the top.
• Brush the cod with Dijon mustard then pile the polonaise garnish on top of the fish.
• To serve place the cauliflower purée on warm plates
• put the cod on top and the cooked asparagus next to the cod. Sprinkle the fried breadcrumbs over the top and serve.