Serves 1 

Cherry Tomatoes & Fennel Ingredients 

  • 147g/ 10 x cherry tomatoes
  • Smoked paprika  
  • 26g x half a red onion, sliced 
  • 1 x garlic clove 
  • 10g x white wine vinegar 
  • 22g x cold water (rinse tin) 
  • 70g/ 1/4 x fennel bulb
  • Sea salt to season
  • Cracked black pepper to season 

Hake Ingredients 

  • 225g x one, hake cutlet 
  • Olive oil 
  • Cracked black pepper to season 
  • Sea salt to season
  • 7g x salted butter

Polenta Ingredients 

  • 250g x boiling hot water 
  • 5g x 1/2 a vegetable stock cube, Knorr 
  • 36g x polenta 
  • 7g x Pecorino Romano, grated 
  • 12g x mascarpone 
  • Cracked black pepper
  • Sea salt 

Garnish – Parsley Oil

  • Flat leaf parsely
  • Olive oil

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  1. Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves. Place onto a baking tray. Drizzle olive on top. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Roast for approximately 8-10 minutes until golden and the cherry tomatoes are bursting with juices. 
  1. Peel the skin layers off the the red onion and thinly slice. Remove the root. Peel the garlic clove, crush and finely dice. Then cut the fennel bulb in half and thinly slice. Remove the root.  
  1. Place a medium sized saucepan onto the hob, medium heat. Drizzle olive oil into the pan and allow to heat. Add the sliced red onions and garlic to the pan. Lightly fry for 2-3 mins until softened. Add the white wine vinegar and allow to reduce. Then add the sliced fennel. Fry until softened. Place the roasted cherry tomatoes into the pan. Swill the baking tray with cold water. And add to the pan. Stir and cook for a further 8-10 mins. 
  1. Add a knob of butter to a small frying pan and a drizzle of olive oil. Heat to a medium/high heat. Place the hake into the pan and sear until golden. Then place into the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes. Test the fish is cooked by using a knife (or skewer), insert the tip knife into the thickest part of the fish for a few seconds, then gently press the knife tip against the side of your hand, underneath the thumb. If the knife is warm, the fish is ready, if its still cool, it needs more cooking time.
  1. Preheat the stovetop to a medium heat. Add boiling hot water to a medium sized saucepan to the hob. Medium heat. Crumble in the vegetable stock and mix in. 
  1. Slowly add the polenta into the boiling hot water, whisking continuously at the same time. Whisk the polenta until it begins to thicken for approximately 5 minutes. Then add the grated pecorino Romano, mascarpone and seasoning. Mix until well combined. If the polenta becomes to thick, add more water to loosen. 
  1. Serve the polenta in a pasta bowl. Add the cherry tomato and fennel mix in the centre of the polenta. Place the hake on top. Drizzle parsley oil around the edges of the polenta.