Lacquered Steelhead Trout with Roasted Cauliflower Puree:

Hard headed? – no not me, the fish. However, being stubborn is not a bad thing when it’s rooted in an honorable need to stick to your guns for the purpose of protecting righteous virtues. When it comes to cooking, it’s about finding that balance between what you know to be right and what you don’t know, in order to redefine those virtues.  Steelhead trout is not easily stumbled upon in your local grocery store. But when you do stumble upon, it is a life necessity to buy it. I’ve made lacquered salmon before with wondrous results, and meandered into the fish market with the true purpose of seeking out some wild sockeye. But gazing upon the steelhead trout rebooted my inspiration and the desire to redefine. The steelhead trout delivered a much more silky finish than salmon, but it was the roasted cauliflower puree that stubbornly dominated this dish. Lightly chard, along with roasted garlic and onion, the cauliflower offered a creamy smokiness to compliment the delicate fish. Some people I know might call me hard headed, but I’ll take that knowing that it’s rooted in the core need to push forward toward finding new meaning, in life, and in cooking.

SECRET INGREDIENT:  Roasted part of the cauliflower

TIP: Don’t forget to baste every 10 minutes; it really is the whole point of lacquered

Lacquered Steelhead Trout with Roasted Cauliflower Puree

• Salmon (2 lb single piece)
• Fresh ginger (1 Tbl, finely grated)
• Honey (3/4 cup)
• Lime juice (1 whole lime)
• Chili garlic sauce (3 tsp)
• Soy sauce (1/4 cup)
• Sake (1/2 cup)
• Mirin (1/4 cup)
• Sesame oil (2 Tbsp)

For Fish

1. Preheat oven to 250°F
2. In a bowl, finely grate ginger, then whisk lime juice, soy sauce, mirin, honey, chili sauce, sake, and sesame oil.
3. Line baking sheet with foil and coat lightly with oil. Place salmon skin side down and coat several tablespoons of glaze and let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Roast 10 minutes, and then glaze salmon. Repeat glazing and roast until cooked through about 30-40 minutes total.
5. Remove from oven and glaze again. Reserve pan drippings for platting.

For Cauliflower

• Cauliflower (whole head, slice into 1 inch slides, and broken into pieces)
• Garlic (4 whole cloves, peeled)
• Onion (1/2 of an onion, cut into small wedges)
• Olive oil
• Salt & fresh ground pepper
• Sour cream (1 cup)
• Lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
• Parmesan Reggiano (1/2 cup, grated)

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Line baking sheet with foil and coat lightly with oil. Place cauliflower, garlic, and onion evenly across sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Back for 25 minutes, turning browning pieces after first 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and place roasted vegetables into a food processor, reserving some of the cauliflower florets for a garnish.
5. Add sour cream and parmesan, and process until just smooth. Season to taste.