Picture it Sicily 2018. Been desperate to use the expression remembered from The Golden Girls. Perhaps I am turning into Sophia Petrillo as I get older! This dish hails from the little village of Erice. A beautiful cliff top village overlooking the sea and the salt pans of Trapani. There was a plentiful supply of fresh, fresh fish and seafood in all the restaurants. This dish was the speciality at Gli Archi di San Carlo. The restaurant is well worth a visit for great local cuisine. It also has an outstanding wine cellar which also makes the meal more memorable. Here is a Sicilian inspired classic from the menu.
Braised Hake can take no longer than 30 mins from start to serving. It’s simple and takes hardly any effort to prepare. The friends and family who joined us loved the nice tangy taste of the sauce and the freshness of the fish.
Braised Hake A Sicilian Style Classic
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Loading...Braised Hake can take no longer than 30 mins from start to serving. Its simple and takes hardly any effort to prepare. The friends and family who joined us loved the nice tangy taste of the sauce and the freshness of the fish.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- A handful of flat leaf parsley
- A splash of olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- A pinch of chili powder
- A pinch of Paprika
- A tin of chopped tomatoes
- 4 hake fillets
- 1 lemon
- 2 large handfuls of baby leaf spinach
Instructions
Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves, keeping them separate.
Warm a splash of olive oil in a deep frying pan. Add the onion. Season. Fry over low heat for 5 mins till the onion is just softened. Stir well so the onions don’t catch.
Stir the garlic and parsley stalks into the onion.
Add a good pinch of cayenne pepper and Paprika. Braise the spices and stir for 1 min till the pan smells aromatic and spicy. You can vary the amount of cayenne depending on the amount of kick you like in your sauce.
Add the tomatoes to the pan and top up with a cupful of cold water. Cover. Bring the tomato sauce to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 8-10 mins till the sauce starts to thicken.
Brush the fish fillets with Olive Oil and put skin side down onto a hot griddle for a maximum of 1 minute. This will crisp the skin and add a nice caramelized fish taste and great texture to the fish.
Add the hake fillets to the pan, skin side down. Pop the lid back on. Simmer for 5-8 mins till the fish is opaque and cooked through.
Halve the lemon and slice into wedges for later.
Taste the tomato sauce and season if it needs it.
Stir in the baby spinach – the heat of the sauce should wilt them sufficiently.
Finally, serve the Hake and tomato sauce, lemon wedges, garnished with chopped parsley.
As a side, serve boiled buttered baby new potatoes to mop up the delicious sauce with.
Notes
As a side, serve boiled buttered baby new potatoes to mop up the delicious sauce with. This dish also works well with Cod or any other firm white fish
Wine Matching
We served an Arabella Chenin Blanc with this dish and it was a great match with the Braised Hake. Naked Wines have given Cork, Fork, and Table a great deal for subscribers. A wapping £75 off your first order. Wine available to suit every pocket. Discover how easy it is to get great wines of the world delivered to your door. We have been using them for about two years and have never had a bad bottle. Happy Glugging!
If you like Sicillian Food try these recipes:
Tomato Seafood Risotto | Sublime, Easy and Tasty |
Lemon Risotto with Prawns | Sicily on a Plate
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