Cooking for Five { golden crust baked hake }

Uncomplicated, fairly quick to make and delicious, this recipe is perfect for weekday dinners or even when one has a couple of friends over. Everyone, even those who make funny faces at the sight of fish dishes, will love it. Guaranteed.

(This recipe was edited on the 30th of August, 2014. Introduction text remains the same. The pictures were replaced and the recipe has been reviewed. Important to remark that the pictures do not depict the recipe's ingredient quantities.)

At home with my family it is my father who does most of the cooking. He’s the one who passed me the love for cooking and who introduced me to the art of mixing simple ingredients and adding them a special touch. We only argue over how much meat meals are too much, since if it was for him he would eat meat most of the time and I wouldn’t mind being a vegetarian.

This week, as I’m staying at home for holidays, I did most of the cooking. And I must say I came up with some nice ideas. Since I wasn’t thinking about sharing them, I haven’t been taking photos of my cooking adventures, which is something I’m now regretful for.

Anyway, Tuesday I was really up to trying something original and tasteful, and my challenge was to make hake an interesting food for the men of the house, who are fonder of meat than of fish, especially what they call “diet fish”, like hake that has not been battered and fried.

The result was no hake left and a completely empty plate, thanks to my younger brother, who totally loved the crust and made the remaining of it disappear in a blink of an eye. Think I conquered the meat-lovers this time!

pescada no forno com crosta dourada de alho e cebola.

(para cinco)5 lombos de pescada sem pele nem espinhas

1 + 1/2 chávena de pão ralado grosso

3 dentes de alho picados

1/2 chávena de cebola (doce) picada

2 colheres de sopa de orégãos
1 colher de sopa de manjericão seco

pimenta preta moída

azeite
sal

Pré-aquecer o forno a 190ºC.
Untar o fundo de um pyrex com azeite. Dispor os filetes de pescada lado a lado sobre este e temperar com um pouco de sal e pimenta.
Numa taça, juntar o pão ralado, a cebola, o alho, os orégãos, o manjericão e sal e pimenta a gosto. Adicionar azeite, misturando bem, até que a mistura fique bem coberta deste, mas não ensopada.
Cobrir a pescada com a mistura para a crosta e finalizar com um fio de azeite.
Levar ao forno até o peixe estar bem cozinhado (mas tendo atenção em não o cozinhar demais, pois a pescada tende a ficar muito seca) e a crosta estar dourada e estaladiça, cerca de 30-40 minutos.
Servir imediatamente.

~

baked hake with a garlic-onion golden crust.

(for five)
5 thick hake fillets, no skin and boneless

1 + 1/2 cup coarse breadcrumbs

3 garlic cloves, chopped 

1/2 cup (sweet) onion, chopped

2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp dried basil

ground black pepper

olive oil

salt

Pre-heat oven at 190ºC.

Coat the bottom of a oven-proof deep glass tray with olive oil. Place the hake fillets side to side on it and season with a bit of salt and pepper.

In a bowl, toss together breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, oregano, basil and some salt and pepper to taste. Pour some olive oil over and give it all a good stir. The mixture should be well coated with olive oil, but not dripping.

Cover the hake with the crust mixture and finish with some more olive oil to taste.

Bake until the fish is thoroughly cooked (but be careful not to overcook it, because hake tends to gets quite dry) and the crust is golden and crispy, about 30-40 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Back in 2010, as a side dish for the halibut, I made a Potato Gratin (think potatoes, béchamel sauce and cheese!)

In the 2014 edition, and hence, pictures:

I paired the fish with a 'spinach-tomato açorda', something I've come up with upon the appetite for a new side. It's a bit like a a tomato-spinach-garlic-bread stir-fry.