Hake with Lemon & Parsley Butter Sauce
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Firm-fleshed hake is all sorts of delicious when it’s pan fried till crisp and coated in a buttery herb and lemon sauce. That might sound fancy but it’s simple as can be, and with a mountain of creamy mash on the side, we’d say this fishy dishy is the ultimate comfort food.
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689 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 500g potatoes
  • 1 leek
  • 150g Kalettes®
  • A handful of flat leaf parsley
  • 1 lemon
  • 100ml full cream milk
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 hake fillets
  • 45g butter
From your kitchen
  • Sea salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Freshly ground pepper
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Peel and chop the potatoes into bite-size chunks. Trim the roots and top 3cm off the leek. Halve it and rinse out any grit, then finely slice the leek. Trim the stalky bottoms off the Kalettes® and halve them. The water in the pan should be boiling by now. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for 20 mins till the potatoes are tender.

  • 2.

    While the potatoes simmer, set your oven to its lowest heat. Set a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add ½ tbsp oil and the leek. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 8 mins till the leek is soft and golden. Scoop into a heatproof dish or bowl and pop in the oven to keep warm.

  • 3.

    While the leek fries, roughly chop the parsley. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Juice 1 half. Set the zest, juice and remaining lemon half aside.

  • 4.

    When the leeks are in the oven, put the frying pan back on the hob. Add the Kalettes®, season and stir fry for 4–5 mins till dark green and lightly charred. Scoop into another heatproof bowl and pop in the oven to keep warm.

  • 5.

    Check the spuds – they should be tender by now. Drain and tip them back into the pan. Pour in 100ml of the milk and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Use a masher to crush the potatoes and smoothly mash them. Stir in the cooked leeks. Pop a lid on the pan and set aside to keep warm.

  • 6.

    Sprinkle 1 tbsp flour onto a plate and lightly season it. Dip the hake fillets in the flour to just coat both sides of the fish. Put the frying pan back on the heat. Add ¼ of the butter to the pan and set it on a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the hake fillets, skin-side down. Fry for 4 mins then carefully flip and fry for another 3-4 mins till the fillets are opaque white and flake easily when pressed with a fork.

  • 7.

    Transfer the hake fillets to a couple of warm serving plates. Turn the heat on underneath the mashed potato pan – keep the heat low, to just warm the potatoes through.

  • 8.

    Add the remaining butter to the frying pan. When it has melted, swirl in the chopped parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bubble for 30 secs. Take off the heat.

  • 9.

    Scoop the mash onto the plates with the hake. Add the Kalettes®. Pour over the butter and garnish with the last of the parsley, serving the remaining lemon, sliced into wedges, on the side.

  • Tip

    It's all white
    Your leftover milk will keep in the fridge for a few days, or you can pour it into ice cubes trays and freeze it. Then you can pop the frozen cubes of milk into a blender with your favourite fruit and a few green leaves and blitz to make a creamy smoothie.

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