Roasted hake with clams, cider sauce and dill oil
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + brining + pressing
- Easy
- Serves 4
Ingredients
DILL OIL
- a bunch, plus extra to serve dill
- 100ml olive oil
HAKE
- 200g sea salt
- 4 fillets (around 800g) hake
- 4 sprigs thyme
CLAMS
- 400g clams, cleaned
- 330ml dry cider
- olive oil
- 2 echalion shallots, sliced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic , sliced
- 1 tbsp crème fraîche
Method
- STEP 1
Blitz the dill with the oil using a small blender or food processor for 5 minutes until a vibrant green. Line a sieve with muslin, put over a bowl and pour in the dill oil. Leave for 1-2 hours, then discard the pulp left behind.
- STEP 2
Whisk the salt into 1 litre of cold water until dissolved, then add the hake fillets and chill for 1 hour. Remove the fillets and wash under gently running cold water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Wrap each fillet tightly in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour to firm up.
- STEP 3
Heat a large pan over a high heat. Add the clams and cider, cover with a lid and steam for 3-5 minutes or until the shells open. Pour through a sieve, catching the cooking liquid in a bowl.
- STEP 4
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and cook the shallots, thyme and garlic for a few minutes until soft. Add in the cider, bring to the boil and simmer until reduced by half. Whisk in the crème fraîche, season and keep warm.
- STEP 5
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the hake fillets onto a baking-paper-lined tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle on some thyme. Roast for 10 minutes until cooked through. Tip the clams back into the sauce and heat through.
- STEP 6
Spoon the clams and sauce into bowls, top the with hake, drizzle over some of the dill oil, and serve with extra dill, if you like.
