One way to ensure a balanced consumption of seafood is to try different species and hake is a brilliant substitute for fish like cod and haddock. We did a blind taste test on ‘Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Food Fight’ and the diners couldn’t tell the difference.
Ingredients
- 4 (bell) peppers (2 orange and 2 yellow), deseeded and cut into thick wedges
- 4 x 175–200-g/6–7-oz hake steaks
- 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tbsp capers
- 4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- extra virgin olive oil
- groundnut (peanut) oil, for frying
- salt and pepper
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.
- Brush the (bell) peppers all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment (baking paper) and place the peppers on it, skin-side up. Roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the peppers have softened.
- Leave to cool and then carefully remove the skins with the tip of a knife. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper (paper towels). Roll the steaks in the flour until coated on both sides, brushing off any excess. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat the groundnut (peanut) oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a high heat. Add the hake and fry on one side for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan to stop the steaks sticking to it. Turn them over with a spatula, taking care not to break their delicate flesh.
- Add a few dashes of olive oil, the roasted peppers and the capers to the pan and fry for 3 minutes. Test whether the fish is cooked by pressing gently on the flesh and if it comes away from the bone easily, it is done.
- Transfer the fish and peppers to a serving dish. Add the parsley, half the lemon zest and a few drops of the juice to the cooking liquid in the pan and pour over the hake. Sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest, season with pepper and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
