Hake is a term used for 13 species of fish, only one of these, the European hake, can be found close to Britain. Hake is considered a similar fish to cod, but is a firmer, meatier flesh and long, slender body.
Hake can be matched with a multitude of pairings, Such as bacon, horseradish, coconut and spices. It is commonly eaten on the continent, with Spain in particular incorporating hake into many of their regional dishes.
You'll see from my website that I'm a huge fan of the wonderful hake, I personally prefer to use hake as an alternative for my fish and chips
This Recipe will serve 4 People
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time Approximately 2 Hours
Make the pommes Anna first, as you will need to make this a day in advance to allow them to set
1
Preheat the oven to 165°C/gas mark 3
Ingredients
Maris Piper Potatoes
200g of Ready Sliced Cooked Chorizo, (the spicy kind would be great)
200g of Salted Butter
Salt & Pepper
Method
Peel the potatoes and slice as thinly as you can, a Japanese mandolin slicer would be ideal for this, pour the melted butter over the top and mix well. Layer the sliced potatoes alternating with a layer of the sliced chorizo in a deep tray, seasoning each layer as you go
3
Once the tray is full, cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until the potatoes and chorizo are cooked all the way through. Once cooked, place a tray on top that just fits into the larger tray and distribute weights on top. Baked bean cans are ideal, leave overnight in the fridge to press and set
When ready to serve, Cut the pommes Anna into portions, Place on a baking sheet and reheat through the oven until warm
For the Goose Fat Poached Hake Fillets
To confit an ingredient means to 'poach' it in oil. In this case, we are using Goose fat, The low temperature used in this method of cooking results in a wonderfully moist texture.
4 x 140g Hake Fillets with Skin on
50g of Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
500ml of Goose Fat
2 Cloves of peeled garlic
1 good sprig of fresh thyme
1 good sprig of fresh marjoram
Carefully rub salt into the hake fillets and leave to cure for approximately 30 minutes, this will help to firm up the texture of the hake
Gently rinse off the salt and dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel
Pour the goose fat into a wide-bottomed saucepan, add in the garlic, thyme and marjoram, place the pan over a medium heat. Bring the temperature of the goose fat up to 55/60˚C and monitor it with a thermometer, If the goose fat becomes too hot, move off the heat for a few minutes, it’s better to be slightly cooler than too hot!!!!
Place the hake in the goose fat and cover with a piece of grease proof paper
Poach for 20 minutes until the flesh of the hake becomes opaque. You can test if the hake is cooked by using a metal skewer, place through the thickest part of the hake there should be no resistance
Carefully remove the hake from the goose fat with a slotted spoon. Place onto a baking sheet, Allow the goose fat to drain off properly
Gently, with a sharp knife, remove the skin off the hake, soggy fish skin is not great to eat
At this point you can use a blow torch to caramelize the flesh of the hake, or carefully place under an extremely hot grill, being careful not to over cook the hake
For the Sherry Butter Sauce
Ingredients
100ml of Dry Sherry
100g of Cold Butter
1 Shallot Peeled & Finely Chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled & Finely Chopped
50g of Cooking Chorizo Finely Chopped
A Small Sprig of Fresh Oregano
100ml of Chicken Stock
1 Small Pinch of Hot Smoked Paprika (Optional)
1 Small Pinch of Aleppo Pepper (Optional)
Squeeze of Lemon
Method
In a small saucepan, heat a small amount of butter and a small amount of oil on a medium heat
Add in the Cooking chorizo and cook through to allow the tasty oil to be released, around 5 minutes
Now add in the garlic, shallot, Oregano, Paprika Aleppo Pepper if using
Allow these to cook without colouring for another 5 minutes
Turn up the heat, and add the sherry, reduce till almost evaporated
Now add in the chicken stock and repeat the process until reduced by a third
Remove the pan from the heat, and, cube by cube, whisk the butter into the sherry mix, don’t do this on the heat or the sauce will split
Continue to add the butter until you have a glossy sauce, add a squeeze of lemon, now pass through a fine sieve and discard the shallot mix
Place the hake onto 4 warmed plates with the Chorizo Pommes Anna alongside, spoon the Sherry Butter sauce around and serve
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