Hake with Potatoes in Garlic Sauce

Name: Hake with Potatoes in Garlic Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 650 g hake (cleaned weight, 3 steaks); 650 g red potatoes; garlic sauce (ajada); 8 garlic cloves; 1 small onion (about 50 g); 1 bay leaf; 75 ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 1/4 bunch parsley; broth; 1 small onion; 1 small piece of leek; 1 carrot; 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns; parsley stems; 75 ml dry white wine; salt

February 2, 2016

Potatoes Budget Recipes Spanish Fish and Seafood Meat Dishes

Recipe: Hake with Potatoes in Garlic Sauce

The Spanish know how to cook fish.

I discovered Merluza a la Gallega (hake Galician-style) while reading articles to practice my Spanish. I was immediately drawn to its appearance, and the next second, the fact that it's made with potatoes convinced me to add it to the weekend menu. This recipe can also be made with other white fish (cod fillets or turbot, for example). This time I decided to go with frozen hake. It has a delicate taste and is also inexpensive. I selected and thawed it following the instructions here. How great it is when I follow my own advice! It turned out wonderful! Me gusto!

Ingredients

650 g hake (cleaned weight, 3 steaks)
650 g red potatoes

Garlic Sauce (ajada)

8 garlic cloves
1 small onion (about 50 g)
1 bay leaf
75 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 bunch parsley

Broth

1 small onion
1 small piece of leek
1 carrot
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
parsley stems
75 ml dry white wine
salt

Servings: 3

How to prepare hake with potatoes in garlic sauce

Start by preparing the sauce, as it needs to sit and infuse for a while. In a small saucepan, add the oil, thinly sliced onion, 4 garlic cloves peeled and halved, and the bay leaf. Simmer everything on very low heat to infuse the oil with the aromas. This takes about 15 minutes - be careful not to let the onion or garlic brown... the oil should just gently bubble. Remove the pan from heat, add the paprika, and stir well. Add the remaining 4 crushed garlic cloves to the sauce. Set aside until needed.
In a pot, add the vegetables for the broth (onion, carrot, leek, parsley stems for the sauce, all cut into larger pieces), along with the peppercorns, wine, and 3.5 cups of water. Let it simmer while you prepare the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes and slice them (use red potatoes as they hold their shape better when boiled and don't fall apart as easily). Add them to the simmering broth. Add salt. Simmer on low heat until the potatoes are cooked.
Cut the cleaned hake into thick slices (rounds) of 2-3 cm. If it was frozen, cover it with milk for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
* if using frozen hake, see here for more information on how to thaw fish
Strain the broth and remove only the potatoes from the strainer. The vegetables are not used in this recipe. Arrange the potatoes in a wider pan and sprinkle with a little salt.
Put the strained broth back in the pot. Add the hake rounds to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes (check that the flesh is opaque all the way to the center). Remove the fish and arrange it among the potatoes. Sprinkle a little salt over the fish as well.
* the remaining broth can be frozen and used for other recipes that call for fish stock
Strain the garlic sauce, pressing in the sieve to extract all the sauce from the vegetables. Add 150 ml of the broth (the one in which you boiled the potatoes and then the fish). Pour the sauce over the potatoes and fish. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
Place the pan on heat, bring to a boil, and simmer covered for 5 minutes, shaking the pan back and forth 2-3 times.
Serve hot, immediately after it's ready.