A clean, briny fish dish where hake takes center stage: pearly roasted loin, gently emulsified kokotxas in a light pil-pil style, melted anchovy, fresh parsley, and a sweet-and-sour red onion and bell pepper relish.
Ingredients
- 360 g very fresh skin-on European hake loin
- 160 g fresh or frozen hake kokotxas
- 25 g anchovy fillets packed in olive oil
- 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 70 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 piece red onion
- 1 piece red bell pepper
- 25 ml red wine vinegar
- 150 ml ready-to-use fish stock
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 20 g capers in vinegar
- to taste fine sea salt
- to taste whole black peppercorns
Method
- Remove the hake loin from the refrigerator, pat dry thoroughly, and season lightly with salt on the flesh side. Let temper for 15 minutes at room temperature: the chill should come off the flesh while staying firm.
- If the kokotxas are frozen, thaw them in the refrigerator, then pat dry on paper towels. Trim off any tough visible membranes. They should be tender, glossy, and smell fresh.
- Chop the parsley separately: reserve the freshest leaves for garnish, and finely mince the stems to flavor the pan juices. Finely slice the red onion and dice the bell pepper into small, uniform pieces.
- Make the Basque relish: combine the red onion, bell pepper, capers, red wine vinegar, a splash of the olive oil, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Let macerate for 15 minutes at room temperature until the onion softens and loses its raw bite.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C) with convection. Place the hake loin skin-side down in a lightly oiled baking dish. Rub the flesh with a light film of olive oil, sweet smoked paprika, and a tiny pinch of cayenne. The surface should look evenly glossy.
- Roast the hake at 375 °F (190 °C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until an internal probe thermometer reads 118 °F (48 °C): the edges will start to pull back, the flakes separate under gentle pressure, and the center remains translucent.
- While the hake roasts, warm the olive oil with the crushed garlic in a saute pan over low heat (around 230 °F / 110 °C) for 2 minutes. As soon as the garlic is fragrant without browning, add the anchovy fillets and let them melt over very low heat for 2 minutes until completely dissolved into a smooth paste.
- Add the kokotxas gelatin-side down to the saute pan. Cook over very low heat (around 160 °F to 175 °F / 70 °C to 80 °C) for 3 to 4 minutes, gently swirling the pan continuously, until they turn opaque white and tender.
- Pour in the warm fish stock (about 140 °F / 60 °C) and continue swirling in circular motions for 3 minutes, alternating on and off the heat, to build a light, coating pil-pil emulsion.
- Fold the minced parsley stems into the kokotxa sauce, let infuse off the heat for 1 minute, and adjust the black pepper. Discard the garlic clove.
- Remove the hake from the oven and let rest for 3 minutes under parchment paper so the internal temperature reaches 125 °F (52 °C). Pour any clear juices released by the fish into the warm sauce and swirl for 30 seconds to emulsify.
- Plate in warm shallow bowls: place the hake loin in the center, spoon the kokotxa and anchovy pan juices around the base, then arrange the kokotxas alongside. Spoon small mounds of the drained onion-pepper relish around the fish.
- Garnish with the fresh parsley leaves, a drizzle of raw extra-virgin olive oil, and a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately while the emulsion is warm and the fish is piping hot.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 604.2 kcal
- Protein
- 51.73 g
- Carbohydrate
- 6.31 g
- Fat
- 40.62 g
- Fibre
- 2.02 g
- Calcium
- 19.76 mg
- Iron
- 1.03 mg
- Magnesium
- 15.14 mg