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James Street Cookery School: Hake with chickpeas and fennel, Niçoise salad

Niall McKenna's hake with chickpeas, fennel and pepper
Niall McKenna's hake with chickpeas, fennel and pepper Niall McKenna's hake with chickpeas, fennel and pepper

HAKE is a wonderful fish to cook with – with a white, flaky texture, subtle flavours and soft flesh that becomes firm and meaty when cooked; it’s an ideal fish for pairing with big and bold flavours like my chickpea, fennel and pepper sauce.

The humble tuna also works well with many flavours; it’s hard to beat served in a classic tuna Niçoise salad with stacks of veg, a zesty dressing and hard-boiled eggs still oozing in the centre.

HAKE WITH CHICKPEAS, FENNEL AND PEPPER

(Serves 4)

4 x 300g hake fillets, descaled and boned

rapeseed oil

salt and pepper

For the sauce:

400g tomatoes

400g red peppers

2 shallots

2 cloves garlic

½ bulb fennel

100g chickpeas

20ml olive oil

30ml water

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 sprigs of oregano leaves

salt and pepper

Herb oil:

25g parsley

25g dill

25g chervil

10g mint

Place all into a blender with 15ml olive oil and blend to fine consistency

Method:

Preheating the oven to 180C. Halve the tomatoes and place in an oven-proof dish. Deseed the peppers, cut into long strips and place on the tomatoes. Cover with half of the olive oil, water and sea salt, red wine vinegar and black pepper. Add the chopped garlic, shallots and oregano and place in the oven. Cook for up to 40 minutes.

When the tomatoes and peppers are soft and tender, transfer to a saucepan, adding the chickpeas and fennel. Mix thoroughly on a moderate heat. Add the remaining olive oil and cook gently for 10 minutes until bubbling. Season to taste with black pepper and sea salt.

Season the hake with salt and pepper. Preheat a non-stick frying pan with the rapeseed oil and place the hake skin side down. After around four minutes, when the skin is crispy, turn over to the flesh side down and cook for one minute. Place on a plate; serve with the chickpea and pepper sauce; top with the herb oil and a wedge of lemon if desired.

NIÇOISE SALAD

(Serves 2-4)

300g tuna

225g small French beans, trimmed

450g mix of baby plum and cherry tomatoes

8 Comber potatoes

4 hard-boiled eggs

1 shallot

4 basil leaves

1 handful watercress

rapeseed oil to cook

salt and pepper

For the dressing, mix:

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

6 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

salt and pepper

Method:

Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Drizzle rapeseed oil in a pan and, when hot, seal and cook the tuna for one minute each side. Remove and plunge into iced water. Rub with a drop of rapeseed oil and place in fridge.

Cook, refresh and drain the French beans. Boil the eggs in a pot of boiling water for four minutes. (If cooking straight from the fridge, add another minute.) Cool, peel and halve the eggs.

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until soft (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, refresh in cold water and halve.

Place the beans, tomatoes, shallots, egg, potatoes and tuna on a plate. Dress with the watercress and pour over your dressing and serve.