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.