Sardine rillettes with whisky and cauliflower cream

Serves 4 Starters and mains

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Method

If you prefer, you can buy fresh sardines for the rillettes and get the fishmonger to fillet them. Fry the fillets in olive oil for a few minutes and leave to cool, then follow the recipe as below.

Lightly crush the drained sardines with a fork. Blend them in a blender or food processor with the softened salted butter and the whisky, then press through a sieve. Whip the cream and delicately fold it through the sardine mixture.

To make the cauliflower cream, reserve a few of the cauliflower florets and chop them finely. Cook the rest of the cauliflower in salted boiling water until tender; drain. Blend until smooth, then add half of the cream. Whip the remaining
cream until stiff and gently fold into the cauliflower purée.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. For the Melba toast, use a small glass to cut out 12 circles from the bread slices. Brush with butter, then bake for 5 minutes, until golden.

At the very last minute before serving, arrange alternate layers of Melba toast, cauliflower cream and rillettes in a stack. Finish each stack with a slice of Melba toast. Mix the reserved chopped cauliflower florets with the vinaigrette (made by whisking together the vinegar and olive oil) and the coriander, then divide this among the top slices of Melba toast. Season.