Fish of the Day - week 18 - the hake

 

Back in 2015, after several years of hard slog by the mainly Newlyn gill-net fleet the MSC finally ascertained that south west hake fishery was in sufficiently good health and, together with the sustainable fishing methods adopted by the fleet meant that it was awarded a blue MSC Certified Sustainable Seafood label...

which made a huge difference to the value of this hugely versatile and fine tasting fish for the fleet which saw a complete reversal of sales which until then had predominantly seen 80% of the hake landed in Newlyn shipped across the water, mainly to Spain - the biggest hake consumers in Europe...

boats like the Ygraine handle the fish with great care at sea and that dedication continues when the fish are brought ashore to the market where they are graded and weighed before bing laid out on the auction floor - read more about hake on the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide...

locally there is much folklore attached to this fish, inter--village rivalries fostered over centuries saw Newlyn fishermen refer to their counterparts as 'scaly-backs' or 'hakes' - notwithstanding such prejudices there are plenty of St Ives men proud of their hakeness!..

You can even by hake landed straight from the Karen of Ladram, skippered by Padstow man, Sid Porter - 

Back to the fish itself, If you are intending to buy the fish whole from your local fishmonger let top fishmonger Sue Lucas demonstrate just how easy hake is to prepare for cooking - the dishes you can. make with hake are matched only by the number poof recipe books you want to read, head for books and advice from Cornish chefs like Rick Stein, Bruce Renee, Tom Brown and another Padstow chef, head-honcho at Rick Steins, Steph Delourme- a nice touch here with the addition of that well-know Cornish ale, Doom Bar - named after the notorious sand bar at the entrance to the Camel Estuary and Padstow and the scene of many a tragedy in the days of sail.

One book to recommend for cooking Cornish fish would be Natahn Outlaw's award wining, British Seafood - which has much more than just a collection of recipes between its covers..

Seared fillet of hake with pointed cabbage and pancetta, served with creamy Doom Bar ale sauce.

MAKES QUANTITY:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 x 160g Hake fillets

50g salted butter
3tsp salt
½tsp sugar
5 rasps grated nutmeg
2 hispi (hearted or sweetheart) cabbages
1 carrot, sliced into triangles
40g banana shallots, finely chopped
100g pancetta
10g flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ bottle of Doom Bar ale
700ml chicken stock
100g salted butter
30g double cream
1 lemon, juiced
10g whipped cream
Gremolata
100gr flat leaf parsley
Salt
Black pepper
30gr Garlic finely chopped
0.5 lemon juice
1 lemon zest
200gr Olive oil
20gr Pumpkin Seeds

METHOD:

CABBAGE:

• Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut in half, remove the solid stalk and thinly slice.
• Melt 50g of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tsp salt, ½tsp sugar, 5 rasps nutmeg, the sliced cabbage, carrot and shallot. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 5-10 min, stirring frequently to prevent the cabbage from catching.
•

SAUCE:

• Reduce half the Doom Bar until it almost catches on the bottom of the pan and deglaze with the remaining half, add chicken stock and reduce by 2/3. Add the butter, double cream and lemon.

SERVICE:

• Plancha the skinless hake fillet for 2 minutes on each side until golden.
• Warm the cabbage and stir in the chopped parsley.
• Warm the sauce and add the whipped cream.
• Cook the pancetta between 2 pastry trays in a 100 degree oven until crispy and golden.
• Place the cabbage on the plate, place the fillet on top and pour the sauce around. Garnish with the crispy pancetta.

Many thanks for Steph Delourme, head chef at Rick Stein's, Padstow for providing this recipe.