14 hours ago
4
Salted fish, and salted hake in particular, reminds me of holidays. It’s very popular in southern Europe, where there are hundreds of recipes to choose from. The salting draws out some of the water and improves the fish’s flavour and texture, and it’s a method that pre-dates refrigeration, when salt was used to preserve food. Esqueixada is a Catalan salad of sorts that’s fresh, cooling and utterly delicious. The fried hake, meanwhile, is a little heavier, but addictive and perfect for sharing with a cold aperitif. Both are regulars on our summer menu, and we often flip between the two.
Esqueixada (pictured top)
Prep 15 min
Cure 30 min
Chill 2 hr+
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
For the salted hake
2 thick hake fillets (about 200g each), pin-boned
50g coarse sea salt
For the esqueixada
2 salted hake fillets (see above and method)
2 very ripe large tomatoes, coarsely grated to a pulp and skins discarded
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to finish
2 tsp top-quality white-wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp black olives, pitted
1 tbsp salted capers, well rinsed
2 small salad onions, tropea ideally, though spring onion whites will do, peeled if need be, trimmed and finely sliced
To make the salted hake, lay the fish in a dish or tray large enough to hold the fillets side by side without overlapping. Sprinkle evenly with the salt, turn to coat on all sides, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Wash the salt off the fish, pat dry on kitchen paper and return to the fridge to chill and firm up for at least two hours, and ideally overnight.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle simmer, then drop in the salted hake fillets, making sure they are submerged. Take the pan off the heat and leave the fish to poach in the residual heat for six to eight minutes, until the hake turns opaque and flakes easily. Transfer the fish to a plate and leave to cool at room temperature.
Gently flake the hake into a large bowl and add the tomato pulp, olive oil, vinegar, parsley and a small pinch of salt. Fold gently, taking care not to break up the natural flakes of the fish, then taste and, if need be, adjust with more vinegar and a little salt to taste.
Spoon the salad into four shallow bowls, garnish with the olives, capers and sliced onion, finish with a little extra-virgin olive oil and serve.
Fried salted hake with aïoli
Prep 10 min
Cure 30 min
Chill 2 hr+
Cook 15 min
Serves 4 as a snack
For the aïoli
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
2 egg yolks
30g dijon mustard
30ml white-wine vinegar
½ tsp fine salt
200ml sunflower oil
50ml extra-virgin olive oil
5ml lemon juice
For the fried fish
125g plain flour, plus a little extra for coating the hake
250ml sparkling mineral water
750ml sunflower oil, for deep-frying
2 salted hake fillets (see recipe above), each cut into 4 pieces
Salt, to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges
First make the aïoli. Put the grated garlic, egg yolks, mustard, vinegar and salt in a bowl, then whisk to combine. Now comes the crucial part: whisking continuously, very slowly start dribbling in the sunflower and olive oils in a very thin, steady stream until the mixture thickens and emulsifies. Once all the oil has been incorporated, add the lemon juice and whisk again. Cover and store in the fridge until needed; the aïoli will keep for three days.
Now for the batter. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and sparkling water until well combined.
Pour the sunflower oil into a deep-sided frying pan and heat to 175C (if you don’t have a probe, drop in a little blob of batter: it should sizzle and bubble, not burn and smoke). Coat the salted hake pieces in a light dusting of flour, then drop into the batter. Working in two batches, lift half the hake pieces out of the batter, let any excess batter drip back into the bowl, then carefully drop the fish into the hot oil and fry for four to five minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon or spider, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper (or a rack) to drain, then repeat with the rest of the battered hake.
Very lightly season the fried fish with salt, then serve with the aïoli, lemon wedges and a cold beer or vermouth.
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William Gleave is chef/co-owner of Sargasso in Margate, Kent
