A Recipe for Hake
One for my brother-sort of!!
This post was inspired by my brother buying some hake recently and singing its praises afterwards. I’ve been banging the drum for hake for some time now, it’s underated and we really should learn from our Mediterranean friends on the subject of hake and other less loved fish such as bream which I believe is as good as any farmed sea bass.
So with my brother in mind I came up with this, it’s a play on a potato dish called pomme boulangere which is thinly sliced potatoes cooked in stock with sliced onions. I took the concept of that and the idea of using the potato to act as a means of protecting the fish during cooking whilst giving the impression of fish scales at the same time.
The potatoes are sliced very thinly and briefly plunged into boiling water before being shocked in cold water. The fish is rubbed with a little oilive oil and butter and then the potatoes are layered on top slightly overlapping. The potatoes are brushed with clarified butter and then the whole thing is baked until the fish is just cooked. The potatoes are glazed once more and browned under the grill for extra colour.
I serve it with a pile of savoy cabbage cooked with caramelised onions, Italian bacon, caraway seed and cream. A few baby leeks are used as garnish and the sauce is made from an infusion of milk, bay leaf and celeriac which is frothed at the last moment to lighten the sauce and highlight the celeriac flavour.
Chef
that looks superb - really it does.
I have to say I bought the hake because of the post you mentioned. It stuck in my mind so when seeing it in Sainsbury’s I went for it.
It was superb as well, not just as a replacement for Cod or Haddock but in it’s own right.
It’s also great for sustainability - or at least it would be if they stocked it again !
The last 2 weeks saw only Cod or Haddock available - so much for promoting alternatives !
I shall be trying the recipe and more power to you as what you write does make a difference - people listen and react !
Cheers
Rod
November 11, 2008 @ 7:09 pm
Miles,
It’s all right for some…. Rod shopping for Hake in Sainsbury’s…. recession, what recession?
By the way that dish looks so neat and delicious. The potatoes must be cut very finely so as to cook at the same pace as the fish?
I’ve yet to find and taste the shrimps…. better get a move on or I’ll be lagging behind
Cid
November 11, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
Rod,
Thanks, it’s typical of this country to sell hake one day and cod which needs the most protection for the other six.
We can’t help ourselves can we?
Miles
November 11, 2008 @ 10:18 pm
Cid,
Get a move on! Yes, we do cut the potatoes thinly but they still have to retain some texture against the flakes of fish which is why they are only very quickly par-boiled.
Miles
November 11, 2008 @ 10:20 pm
I have to agree, hake is absolutely delicious! It’s sold fairly cheaply in most local fisheries, and is a firm favourite over the Easter period, when it’s used in the preparation of pickled fish, which is a great delicacy here. Another fish which is fantastic, following the recipe which Miles mentioned, is snoek. It’s found just off the Cape Town coast, is naturally salty and really divine, when prepared correctly.
November 12, 2008 @ 4:03 am
Xenny,
You’re absolutely right about snoek, I’ve tried it and thought it was excellent. There are some really imaginative chefs in your part of the world, especially when it comes to fish cookery.
Nice to hear from you again.
Miles
November 12, 2008 @ 7:09 am
grim article for you to peruse - I knew things were ugly, and I try to do my part - but I didn’t think things were this far gone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/weekinreview/16bittman.html?_r=2&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
November 17, 2008 @ 5:47 am
Dave,
A great link thankyou. It’s interesting to see how the NYT talks about European troubles as well as their own. Fact is we do have a worldwide fish crisis but what are the governments doing about it? If they can ban smoking in restaurants then why not certain species of fish for a while? They’re forever telling us what we can and can’t do so what difference would a banned fish make in the overall scheme of things?
Thanks Dave
Miles
November 17, 2008 @ 8:01 am