Hake in Green Sauce (Merluza a la Koskera)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Additional Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 55 mins
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Servings
5 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Spanish
Hake in Green Sauce (Merluza a la Koskera)
Description
This recipe for Hake in Green Sauce uses fillets of fresh hake cooked carefully in a sauce built from fish broth thickened with corn flour, and flavored with garlic, chilies, and fresh herbs like chives and parsley. White asparagus and peas provide fresh vegetable elements, while clams add briny seafood depth.
The method involves soaking and cleaning clams properly to ensure they are grit-free. Garlic and chilies are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil until browned to infuse the oil, then removed to prevent burning. Chives are lightly cooked in the flavored oil, then combined with corn flour and parsley before adding the hot fish broth to form a green sauce. The hake and vegetables are cooked gently in this sauce, preserving delicate fish texture and mouthfeel.
The dish balances the soft, flaky hake and sweet peas with the tender asparagus and oyster-like clams, all coated in a smooth green sauce with subtle heat and herbaceous notes. It can be varied by substituting some fish broth with white wine or adding other seafood such as prawns or mussels. Traditional garnishes include boiled eggs cut in half.
Ingredients
- 1 kg hake or loin), sliced, fresh
- 750 ml fish broth
- 320 gr white asparagus canned, drained
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 500 gr clams
- 150 gr pea fresh or frozen
- 2 chilies or cayennes
- 2 tablespoon corn flour Maizena type, fine
- 1 lemon juiced
- olive oil extra virgin
- 1 bunch chives
- parsley chopped, fresh
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the clams for at least 1 hour in cold salted water, making sure the water covers them. Remove the grit they release and clean them well.
- Remove the asparagus from the can/jar and place it on a plate. Drizzle with some lemon juice and pinch of salt.
- Slice the garlic and fry it in a pan with 4-5 tablespoons of EVOO with the chillies until browned. Take out the garlic and chillies and reserve them aside in a separate dish.
- In the same pan add the chopped chives in the flavored oil and sauté lightly over low heat and add the corn flour. Stir continuously to keep the flour from burning.
- Stir in the parsley and then pour the hot fish broth, mixing until the flour mixture dissolves.
- Sprinkle the hake pieces with salt and pepper and place them in the green sauce along with the asparagus (you can add it in whole or cut in half if they're too large)
- Cover the pan and simmer everything over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Carefully turn the fish pieces on the other side and cook for another 3 minutes or so until well done.
- Add in the clams. You can also add in the peas at this point if they're fresh or frozen, but if they're canned it's best to add them near the end of the cooking time since they're already partially cooked.
- Cover the pan once more and simmer until the clams open. Shake the pan to cover the clams in sauce as well.
- Plate the dish and serve it hot garnished with the browned garlic and chopped parsley
Enjoy!
Notes
- Clams should be soaked for at least 1 hour in cold salted water to remove grit effectively.
- White wine can replace part of the fish broth (150-200 ml) for additional flavor.
- You may add prawns or mussels as alternatives or additions to clams.
- White asparagus can be replaced with green asparagus or omitted according to preference.
- The recipe can be varied by sautéing garlic with onion and skipping the step of browning the garlic separately.
- Boiled eggs sliced in half can be used as garnish to decorate the dish.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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