Baked hake

This recipe is above all simple, in which with a few minimal ingredients we will make an impressive dish. We have the advantage of finding good quality hake in the vast majority of fishmongers, and this fish is so “grateful” that with a minimum preparation it will suffice for us to enjoy its great flavor and texture.

In addition to being simple, it is also very healthy and affordable. If we buy the hake in a whole piece, we will get the best price dish. In Galicia it is about € 6-7 per kilo, and in large cities like Madrid, between € 10-14. I recommend that it is always white hake, from the Galicia and Cantabrian area, thus ensuring that we take home a good quality product. I have already surprised you with some preparation with this fish, the classic Galician hake , a hake stuffed with salmon and walnuts, hake with green sauce , or even as a filling for a pancake . You have ideas, now you just need to enter the kitchen and prepare a recipe with this gift from the sea.

The common European hake (Merluccius Merluccius) is long and slender bodied, often reaching one meter in length. It has a long, pointed snout, with teeth in its mouth. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans, hence its exquisite flavor and good texture. It is a white fish, with a low fat and calorie content, so it is highly recommended for those who are on a diet or with the helpful “bikini operation”. It is rich in proteins, type B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. It has few thorns, and they are easily removed, making it perfect for the little ones in the house to enjoy.

Preparation of baked hake

1. We will ask the fishmonger to prepare the hake for the oven, removing the entrails and scraping the scales well. We don’t need the head this time, but you can save it (or freeze it) to make a fish broth.
2. If you want to do it at home, you will have to wash it, scale it, clean it, and then cut it into slices of about 2-2.5 cm. thick, leaving the end of the tail in one piece.
3. Once the hake portions are separated, we add coarse salt to taste and let it absorb it calmly, while we prepare the rest of the recipe. In this way, the meat of the fish will be firmer and better textured.
4. Peel the onion and cut it into julienne strips. In a frying pan, add a sheet of olive oil and when it reaches temperature, add the onion. Salt lightly. We are going to cook it over medium heat for 10 minutes, so that it softens and we are left half done before putting it in the oven. We reserve.
5. We wash and peel the potatoes. We cut them in bakery, in thin slices of half a cm. We fry them in very hot oil, 10 minutes at least, that we also have half done. We withdraw and reserve.
6. We preheat the oven, 5 minutes at 200º C, in “total heat” function, with the fan.
7. Peel the garlic, remove the germ from the inside, and chop them finely. Chop the fresh parsley very fine. In a small bowl, pour 5 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic and parsley, and mix everything well. We are going to use this mixture to season the hake.
8. On a large, flat cookie sheet, we begin with mounting the dish before baking. We put a base with the poached onion, on it the bakery potatoes and finally the pieces of hake.
9. On the fish we pour the dressing that we have prepared, in this way we will give it a touch of flavor and it will not dry out in the oven. Bake with heat up and down, 10-12 minutes at 180º C.
10. For a thickness of the pieces of about 2 cm., With this time it is enough for the hake to stay in its point. We should not “crush” it much to enjoy its freshness and texture.

As you can see, a good, beautiful and cheap recipe that with few ingredients will be a delicious dish. It is good for a daily day and even for a special celebration at home.

Be sure to enjoy all the recipes for fish and seafood that we have on the blog, I assure you that you will find a lot of ideas to make yours much happier.