Pan-fried hake with stewed artichokes and clams in a saffron and hazelnuts sauce
I cooked this dish in March for the BBC1 TV show called Saturday Kitchen. I made it live in just 8 minutes, what tells you that if you are well organised this could be not just a delicious fish dinner to conquer your partner with, but as well it can be done in no time. It relies on the freshness of the fish which is in season right now and through to May.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE FISH
4 X 170g loin of hake, skin on
4 artichokes
Salt and pepper
25ml olive oil
FOR THE ARTICHOKES AND SAUCE
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
70g smoke Spanish pancetta, in lardons
50g blanched hazelnuts, some crushed
1 head of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp flour
25ml white wine
200ml fish stock
0.2g Spanish saffron
350g Poularde Dorset clams, cleaned and rinsed
20g chive, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Preparation
Bring the fish stock to the boil and infused with the saffron for about 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Peel the artichokes with the help of a pairing knife, discard the harder outer leaves and the skin on the stalk. If the artichokes are older, remove the choke (the hair looking thing at the heart of the flower itself). Cut them into quarters or sixth’s depending on the size. Leave them in some cold water with the squeeze of half the lemon for them not to discolour.
Place a frying-pan over high heat to warm up. Pat dry and season the hake loins with salt and pepper. Add to the pan skin-side down, reduce the heat to medium and let it cook for 5 minutes on the skin side and 2 minutes on the other.
To prepare the garnish and sauce place a large frying-pan over medium heat, pour the olive oil and add the artichokes, fry them for 3 minutes. Add the finely chopped onion, the smoked panceta and hazelnuts and fry for 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped garlic and after 1 minute add the paprika and flour. Stir for another minute before pouring the white wine slowly and the saffron infused fish stock while stirring to dissolve any lumps from the thin roux we want to form. Add the clams, season with salt and pepper and let it all simmer for about 2 minutes before finishing it off with a sprinkle of chive and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
