Subtle enough not to overpower the delicate flavours of the fish, this vegetable cream is the perfect partner.

Recipes Kane Pollard | Styling Natalie Homan | Photograph Brendan Homan

Grilled fish with root vegetable & preserved lemon cream
serves 4

1 brown onion
250g parsnips
200g celeriac
1 clove of garlic, minced
200ml milk
200ml cream
4 sprigs thyme
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sour cream
2 wedges preserved lemon
4 fillets of your preferred fish
100g butter, softened
dill or fennel fronds to garnish

Peel and chop all the vegetables into pieces roughly the same size.
Place them in a heavy-based pot, add the garlic, milk, cream, thyme and salt. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are tender. Continue to cook with the lid off until the liquid reduces to a thick and creamy consistency, roughly ¾ reduced.
Remove the thyme stems and blitz until smooth in a food processor. Add sour cream and peel of 1 wedge of the preserved lemon and season to finish. Set aside.
Place fish on a baking tray, brush liberally with butter and season with flake salt and cracked pepper. Grill fish until just cooked; thick fish takes about 8-10 minutes, thin fish takes about 2-3 minutes. Save the tray juices.

To serve, smear the root vegetable cream onto a plate, place the fish beside the smear, then fill the crevice with the tray juices. Garnish the fish with thin slices of preserved lemon peel and dill or fennel fronds (or both).

This recipe first appeared in the May 2022 issue of SALIFE magazine.