Debbie Quinn has a lifelong love of food and cooking, nurtured in her parents’ restaurants and in her own family’s kitchen. Every fortnight she shares her passion and expertise with our readers, bringing her best recipes, tips and tricks to the table.
This is a great dish, which has become a family favourite, and our kids are all jealous if they’re not home when we serve it.
It can be gluten-free by just not coating the barramundi in flour.
Ingredients
800g cooked cauliflower florets
1 cup grated pecorino cheese (½ cup into the cauliflower purée and remaining ½ cup to sprinkle on top of the cauliflower)
½ cup grated provolone cheese
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp butter
600g skinless barramundi fillets cut into 3cm pieces
1 tbsp plain flour
Sea salt and black pepper
1 packet of baby spinach
125ml (½) cup cream
Fresh dill prongs chopped coarsely to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 220ºC. Place ½ the cauliflower in a food processor and process until smooth. Add ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup provolone cheese, process until smooth and combined, then set aside in a medium bowl. Then process the other half the same way and combine the two.
In a frypan add the olive oil and 1 tsp of butter on a low heat. Once the butter is melted add the leek and sauté for around 4 to 5 minutes until the leek is wilted slightly and set aside.
In the same frypan, melt the extra butter and add the baby spinach, sauté until the spinach is wilted, set aside to cool, and roughly chop the spinach.
Place the barramundi, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and gently toss to coat.
In a 20cm x 32cm roasting pan, spoon the leek mixture on the base, spreading it out evenly, then place the barramundi evenly over the leeks in one layer.
Spoon the spinach over the barramundi evenly then top with the cream.
Spoon the cauliflower mixture over the top evenly and top with the remaining pecorino cheese.
Cook for 20 mins until golden.
Allow to cool for 5 mins and sprinkle with chopped dill to serve.
Deb’s tips
To make this gluten-free, simply skip the step of coating the fish in flour. But make sure you season the fish with pepper and salt.
Ask your seafood supplier to take the skin off the barramundi for you. This recipe is also great using skinless salmon fillets instead of barramundi. You can also use other fish; for example, ling, blue grenadier or any thick white fish.
It’s easy to trim the skin off any fish. With a sharp knife hold the thin end of the fish skin side down with your left hand. Run the knife along the base of the fish separating the flesh from the skin.
Cut the leeks in half and rinse thoroughly before slicing.
I find it easier to blend two batches of cauliflower and cheese in the processor rather than one unless you have a large food processor (mine is medium size).
Make sure you preheat your oven temperature at 220ºC and bake for no longer than 20 mins or you can overcook the fish. The pie should be bubbling and golden on top.