Seared Salmon with Smoked-Paprika Cauliflower Steaks, Brown-Butter Lime Corn Purée & Crispy Smashed Potatoes
A full, dinner-party-friendly pescatarian plate built for speed: smoky chili-lemon cauliflower steaks and crisp-edged smashed potatoes finish in a hot oven while salmon sears in minutes. Sweet corn is blended into a silky purée, then enriched with nutty brown butter and bright lime so it tastes like a restaurant sauce. Most components can be prepped (or par-cooked) ahead, making this ideal after practice: reheat the purée, crisp the veg, and sear the fish right before serving.
- pescatarian
- dinner party
- make-ahead
- summer
Ingredients
- Cauliflower steaks
- •2 large heads cauliflower
- •45 ml olive oil
- •6 g kosher salt, plus more to taste
- •4 g smoked paprika
- •2 g chili flakes (or 3 g chili powder)
- •6 g garlic powder (or 3 cloves garlic, finely grated)
- •1 lemon, zest and juice
- •10 ml honey or maple syrup (optional)
- •Black pepper
- Brown-butter lime corn purée
- •3 ears corn, shucked
- •30 g unsalted butter
- •60 g yellow onion, sliced
- •2 cloves garlic, sliced
- •240 ml vegetable stock or water
- •4 g kosher salt, plus more to taste
- •1 lime, zest and juice
- •Pinch of cayenne or chili flakes (optional)
- Crispy smashed potatoes + lemon-herb oil
- •900 g baby potatoes (Yukon gold or red)
- •12 g kosher salt, divided
- •60 ml olive oil, plus more for tray
- •1 lemon, zest and juice
- •10 g Dijon mustard (optional)
- •15 g mixed herbs (parsley/dill/chives), finely chopped
- •Black pepper
- Salmon
- •4 salmon fillets (about 150–180 g each), skin-on preferred
- •6 g kosher salt
- •Black pepper
- •15 ml neutral oil (avocado/grapeseed)
- •1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
Instructions
Make-ahead game plan (recommended)
Earlier in the day: Make the corn purée (through blending) and refrigerate. Boil potatoes and refrigerate. Slice/season cauliflower and refrigerate on a tray.
When you get home: Heat oven, crisp potatoes + cauliflower, rewarm purée, then sear salmon last.
Prep (can be done ahead)
Cut cauliflower steaks: Trim leaves. Slice each head into 2–3 cm slabs through the core to get 2 good “steaks” per head; keep florets that fall off for roasting alongside.
Season cauliflower: In a bowl, mix olive oil, salt, smoked paprika, chili, garlic, lemon zest + juice, pepper, and honey/maple (if using). Rub onto both sides of steaks. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
Boil potatoes: Put potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, add 6 g salt, and simmer until a knife slides in with slight resistance, 15–20 min. Drain, steam-dry 5 minutes. Chill (best) or proceed.
Brown-butter lime corn purée
Cook corn: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add corn and boil 3 minutes (just to set sweetness). Cool briefly, then cut kernels off the cobs.
Sauté aromatics: In a saucepan, melt 15 g butter over medium heat. Add onion + garlic with a pinch of salt; cook until translucent and sweet, 6–8 min (no browning).
Blend: Add corn kernels and stock/water. Simmer 3 minutes. Blend until very smooth (a high-speed blender is best). If you want it ultra-silky, pass through a fine sieve.
Brown the butter: In a small pan, melt remaining 15 g butter over medium heat. Swirl until it smells nutty and turns deep golden with brown flecks, 2–4 min.
Finish the sauce: Stir browned butter into the corn purée. Add lime zest + juice, salt to taste, and optional cayenne. The texture should be like loose mashed potatoes; loosen with a splash of stock/water if needed. Keep warm on low (cover to prevent a skin).
Crisp the potatoes + roast the cauliflower
Heat oven: Set oven to 230°C / 450°F. Oil a large sheet pan (or two).
Smash potatoes: Arrange potatoes on the pan, smash each to about 1.5–2 cm thick. Drizzle with olive oil and season with remaining 6 g salt and pepper.
Roast potatoes: Roast until the edges are deeply browned and crunchy, 25–35 min. You should hear faint sizzling and see lacy crisp edges.
Roast cauliflower: On a second pan (or add halfway if space), lay cauliflower steaks flat. Roast 12–18 min, flipping once, until the surface is bronzed and the core is knife-tender but still holds shape. (Roast loose florets alongside; they’re chef’s snacks and great for plating.)
Lemon-herb oil
Mix: Stir olive oil, lemon zest + juice, herbs, pepper, and Dijon (if using). Taste: it should be bright and punchy.
Dress potatoes: Spoon over hot potatoes right before serving so they stay crisp.
Sear the salmon (last minute)
Season: Pat salmon very dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Sear skin-side down: Heat a skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add neutral oil. Place salmon skin-side down and press lightly for 10 seconds so it doesn’t curl. Cook until the skin is crisp and the color has crept up the sides about 2/3 of the way, 5–7 min.
Finish: Flip and cook 30–90 seconds more, just until the center is still slightly translucent and flakes with gentle pressure. Rest 2 minutes.
Plate
Spoon a swoosh/puddle of warm corn purée.
Set cauliflower steak on top.
Add smashed potatoes alongside; drizzle with lemon-herb oil.
Top with salmon; serve with lemon wedges. Optional: extra chili flakes over everything.
Notes
Make-ahead: Corn purée can be made 2 days ahead; rewarm gently and loosen with stock/water. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled up to 2 days; roasting from cold improves crisping. Cauliflower can be sliced and seasoned up to 24 hours ahead. Substitutions: For dairy-free corn purée, swap butter for olive oil and add 10 ml extra olive oil plus a pinch more salt; you’ll lose the nutty brown-butter note but keep the sweet-lime balance. For heat control, keep chili flakes for finishing only. Doneness cues: Cauliflower should be knife-tender at the core but not collapsing. Salmon is best when it flakes but still looks slightly translucent at the very center.