Why Hake
Hake is having a moment, and rightly so. It’s the fish Spain builds half its menus around, with a sweeter, more delicate flake than cod and a fine texture that pan-fries to a beautiful crisp skin. Best of all, UK-caught hake is back on the sustainable list, green-rated by the Marine Conservation Society, so you can cook it with a clear conscience.
This one-pan dish leans on Spain’s favourite trick: fry the chorizo first, then cook everything else in the smoky, paprika-red oil it leaves behind. The samphire (that salty, coastal green we get through the summer) is the local touch that makes it sing. It grows on the marshes and estuaries along the south coast, and it loves a bit of fish.
We sell hake fillets cut fresh and pin-boned to order. Ask us to leave the skin on for this one. It crisps up and holds the delicate fillet together in the pan.
Method
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Boil the potatoes. Put the new potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until tender to the point of a knife. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, lightly crush or halve each one.
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Crisp the chorizo. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the diced chorizo and fry for 4-5 minutes until it’s crisp at the edges and has released its deep red oil. Lift the chorizo out with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
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Fry the potatoes. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the crushed potatoes to the chorizo oil and fry for 6-8 minutes, turning now and then, until golden and crisp. Add the sliced garlic for the last minute. Tip the potatoes in with the chorizo and keep warm.
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Cook the hake. Pat the hake fillets dry and season the skin with pepper only: the chorizo and samphire bring plenty of salt. Add a splash more oil to the pan if needed, then lay the fillets in skin-side down. Press each one flat for a few seconds so the skin makes full contact. Fry for 4-5 minutes without moving them, until the skin is crisp and the flesh has turned opaque most of the way up. Flip carefully and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until just cooked through.
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Wilt the samphire. In the last minute, add the samphire to the pan around the fish (or a separate hot pan) and toss for 60-90 seconds, just until it turns bright green and slightly softened. Don’t overcook it or it goes limp; you want it with a bit of snap.
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Plate up. Spoon the chorizo and potatoes onto warm plates, set a hake fillet on top, pile on the samphire, and finish with chopped parsley and a good squeeze of lemon.
Tips from the Counter
- Never salt the samphire. It’s a sea vegetable, so it’s already salty. Taste before you add any seasoning to the whole dish.
- Dry skin, crisp skin. Pat the hake really dry before it hits the pan and don’t move it while the skin sets. That’s the whole secret to a crisp finish.
- Hake is delicate. It flakes more readily than cod, so use a wide, thin fish slice and turn it just once.
- Samphire season. It’s at its best from late spring through summer. Ask us what’s in. Out of season, wilted spinach or tenderstem broccoli works instead.
- Make it a stew. Add a tin of butter beans and a splash of stock to the pan after the chorizo for a heartier, one-pot version.
Ready to Make It?
Order sustainable hake from Parkstone Fisheries: pin-boned, skin on, prepared fresh at our Poole counter. Free delivery across all BH postcodes, £40 minimum order, or collect in store.