Spice up your weeknight dinners with this baked Wild Atlantic hake recipe, inspired by French cuisine.
French Chef Alex Petit has been putting his stamp on Irish food since taking up the role of Group Executive Head Chef for Trigon Hotels in Cork in 2022. With a passion for food, hospitality and good-quality local produce, Alex shares his recipe for baked Wild Atlantic hake with us.
Serves 4
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Ingredients :
For the papillote :
250g baby potatoes, boiled and sliced
4 X 175g hake fillet, skinned and pinned
1 carrot, peeled & grated
½ leek, washed and sliced thinly
1 head fennel shaved finely
4 spring onions, slice finely
50ml white wine
50ml extra virgin olive oil
50g butter, diced
1 lemon, sliced in 8 slices
For the herb dressing :
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 lemon zest
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method :
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6
Cut 4 pieces of baking parchment into rough 30cm square
Divide the sliced potatoes equally between the 4 squares, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil
In a large mixing bowl, combine all vegetables and season with salt and pepper
Divide the vegetables equally and place on top of the sliced potatoes
Place the fish on top and then drizzle with the white wine and leftover olive oil.
Place 2 slices of lemons per portions on top of the fish and finish with 2 squares of butter per portion
Bring the other side of the paper over the fish and roll and fold the edges together to make a parcel
Bake for 15 minutes, then leave to stand for a further 4–5 minutes before serving
Make the dressing:
Rinse and dry the flat parsley thoroughly, remove any tough stems and finely chop the leaves.
Peel and mince the garlic & zest the lemon
In a small bowl, mix the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest and add olive oil as desired Season with salt and pepper to taste
Carefully remove the fish from the oven and open the parcel being careful not to get burnt from the steam
With a spatula, lift the fish and vegetables onto a plate and top with a generous spoon of herb dressing
Chef’s tips :
- Fold and seal the parchment tightly : by trapping the steam, you are locking the flavours
- Cut your vegetables thin : this will allow to ensure everything is cooked to perfection
- Umami bomb : add 2 chopped anchovies to your herb dressing for an extra dimension
For more recipes like this, check out our recipe list here.
