My default position on seafood is to do as little to it as possible. Hake simply grilled is a great dish as it is, but served with a Noilly Prat sauce and fried cucumber takes it to a whole new level.
INGREDIENTS
600ml fish stock
150ml Noilly Prat
50ml double cream
1 cucumber1 tablespoon shredded Basil
25g butter
4 x 450g fillets of Hake
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh basil, finely shredded
METHOD
Put the fish stock and Noilly Prat into a saucepan and boil rapidly until reduced by three-quarters to about 180ml. Now add the cream and continue to boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Peel the cucumber and then cut in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds then cut each half across into slices 1cm thick.
Melt some of the butter in a large frying pan, when foaming, add the cucumber and cook over a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly coloured. Season with salt and white pepper, and remove from the heat.
Season the fillets and gently fry until cooked. Keep in a warm oven.
Bring the sauce back to the boil season and whisk in the butter.
To serve, place the hake on warm plates, add the cucumber and sprinkle with the basil. Spoon the sauce over the cucumber and around the edge.
Original Recipe Rick Stein French Odyssey
Leave a Comment