Hake with parmesan crust

My mother has always said at home: "Hake, if it is of quality, is delicious and has nothing to envy of other more valued fish ." The truth is that hake has always been cooked in various ways and we often enjoy this fish, which I certainly find delicious.

A good way to make hake is with a touch of parmesan, lemon and spices . This hake recipe is super simple and the result is attractive, with a beautiful presentation and aromas that go very well with hake.

Accompanied by some fries, it is a perfect dish for everyday life that you will enjoy.

To ensure that it is well presented, I do recommend using a pan that is both suitable for the stove and the oven (in this case we have used the Le Ceruset non-stick pan ), because the less handling you do will make the fish better, or it will crumble.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of hake, cleaned, with the skin but without bones (cut into 4 portions, ideally loins)
• 4 potatoes for frying, medium
• 60 g breadcrumbs
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• Lemon zest
• 85 g butter, melted
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chives, chopped
• 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 liter of vegetable oil for frying
• Lemon wedges and watercress to serve

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, melted butter, herbs and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. As an accompaniment to the dish we will make some double-fried potatoes. So we start with frying them. To do this, heat the oil in a high-sided iron skillet to 180°C. Peel, cut into julienne strips, rinse well and dry the potatoes with kitchen paper, and fry them until lightly golden, but not cooked through. Transfer to a kitchen paper to drain and reserve for later.
3. Preheat the grill function of the oven.
4. In the PRO Le Creuset non-stick frying pan (ideal for this recipe because it is suitable for the stove and also for the oven), add a little oil and heat it over low heat. Once hot, place the hake fillets in it, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden and crispy.
5. Turn the fish over and place the breadcrumb and herb mixture on top, along the hake back.
6. We are going to gratin the crust, so transfer the pan from the heat to the oven, under the grill, and cook until the crust is golden and crispy.
7. While it is browning, reheat the vegetable oil in the high frying pan to 180°C and fry the potatoes again until they are now nicely browned and crispy. Serve the fish and potatoes along with some lemon wedges and watercress.

Grades

• Be careful when handling hake: it is a soft, white fish that will easily crumble if you don't watch it. For this reason, it is interesting to cook it in a non-stick pan over low heat (in an iron one it could stick in this case), and also a pan that can go in the oven, so we don't have to unnecessarily transfer it to another utensil and prevent it from breaking.
• Exactly this same recipe is delicious with cod . The only thing to keep in mind is that cod loins tend to be thicker, and you will need a couple of minutes more to cook it, or even turn it over and cook it on several sides before applying the crust and grilling it.
• We have mentioned the PRO non-stick frying pan, but you can also use the sauté pan or the TNS roasting pan: it has exactly the same finish and qualities, but with a different shape and sizes than the frying pan, and they are all suitable for fire and oven.
• We discussed in the recipe how to rinse the potatoes well. This is vital before frying them in an iron pan, because you must remove the starch they leave behind when cutting them, because it is that starch that makes them stick to the iron pan. Well cleaned and dried, you will see that you fry them fabulously well.
• If you want a lighter accompaniment, you just have to accompany it with some tomatoes, a little salad or some grilled vegetables.