Hake

This is a much under valued fish in the UK but is fairly popular in the mediterranean where apparently it is overfished. In the UK it can be seen as a more sustainable source than cod or haddock and with a flakier and milder taste, lends itself to more varied types of cooking.

Hake Loin

I have only really gotten in touch with this fish since moving down to Dartmouth because there are so many varieties of fish availble. So far I have only tried en papillote with a nice thick piece of loin and shallow fried with olive oil. I have also used the head to make an excellent fish stock.

Whilst I have put up a picture of hake loin, the recipe that I am going to focus on here is an adaption of a Venetian dish by Rick Stein, hake alla Carlina. I used fillets that were not particularly thick as can be seen from the images but they worked a treat and were well worth it. hake isn't a particularly cheap fish and the pieces in the images cost me just shy of £20.

The fish is served with fresh samphire and new potatoes with garlic and butter and there is a side of home made tartare sauce.

Ingredients:

• 4 hake fillets skin on (about 150g each)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 50 g plain flour

• salt and freshly ground pepper

for the sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 lemon

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 small gherkins finely chopped

• 2 tbsps capers (1 finely chopped)

• 2 ripe tomatoes finely chopped

• 3 tbps tomato sauce or pasata

• 250 ml fish stock ( I used water)

For the tartare sauce:

• 200ml mayonaise

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp capers ( whole)

• 6 small dill gherkins (half roughly chopped the other finely chopped)

• splash of Worcestershire sauce

• splash of chilli sauce

• 50g of washed and finely chopped samphire

• squeeze of lemon juice

• tsp of onion granules

Method

For the tartare sauce

Mix together all the ingredients and leave to stand in the fridge preferably for a couple of hours or more.

For the potatoes

Pre cook the potatoes in water and then cool to prevent over cooking.

For the hake

Season the fillets with salt and pepper and then coat them with flour.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and then add the fillets skin side down to fry for 2 to 3 minutes ( until lightly browned) then season with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Turn the fish over an fry for a further minute or two. Remove from pan and keep warm.

For the sauce and assembly

When you are about to serve the fish, put some butter in a pan and add some finely chopped garlic to warm up but be careful so as not to burn.

Hake alla Carlina

Blanch the samphire in boiling water and drain.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, gherkins, capers, tomatoes and tomato sauce to the fish stock or water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a bout three quarters to create the sauce. When cooked and reduced add the fish back to the pan carefully to warm through in the sauce . Plate up and serve immediately with a good spoonful of tartar sauce.

NOTE: If you don't make the tartare sauce yourself, don't buy a jar. Leave it out.