Pan-Fried Hake
Hake is cheap and rewarding, but it almost always arrives from the freezer carrying a kilo of extra water. The whole job is getting that water out: dry fish fries, wet fish stews in its own juices and stays pale.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 330 kcal
Ingredients
-
What to use instead
Cornmeal in place of wheat flour gives a noticeably crunchier crust and suits a gluten-free table.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
-
Step 1: Thaw completely
The hake must be thawed all the way through, or the frozen core will release its water straight into the pan. Overnight in the fridge is best.
-
Step 2: Cut and dry
Cut the fish into 3 cm steaks and blot every surface dry with kitchen paper, including the belly cavity.
-
Step 3: Salt ahead
Season with salt and pepper, leave 10 minutes, then blot again. Salt draws out water, and it is better to lose that water before the pan than in it.
-
Step 4: Flour at the last moment
Dip the steaks in flour just before they go into the oil. Flour left sitting on fish soaks up moisture and turns into a sticky paste.
-
Step 5: Fry hot
Heat the oil until it shimmers and lay the steaks in without crowding them. Do not move them for the first 4 minutes; the crust will release by itself.
-
Step 6: Turn once
Give the second side 3 minutes. Constant flipping prevents a crust forming and breaks the flesh up.
-
Step 7: Check doneness
Run a fork along the backbone: on cooked fish the flesh is matt and lifts off the bone in whole sheets, and a thermometer reads 63 °C.
-
Step 8: Finish with aroma
Off the heat, rub the hot fish with a cut garlic clove, scatter with dill and squeeze lemon over.
Tips & variations
-
Tip
Never cover the pan. Steam condenses under a lid and softens the crust you have just built within a minute.
-
Swap
Cornmeal in place of wheat flour gives a noticeably crunchier crust and suits a gluten-free table.
-
Tip
Scrape the black film from inside the belly: it is bitter and frying does not remove it.
-
Storage
Two days in the fridge. Reheat in a dry pan without oil; a microwave turns the fish rubbery.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 330 kcal | 1,320 kcal |
| Protein | 30 g | 120 g |
| Fat | 17 g | 68 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g | 52 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
Cooked it? Rate the recipe
No ratings yet — yours will be the first.
