Basque people's adoration of hake is manifest in its high consumption figures.
Hake is probably one of the most appreciated foods in Basque gastronomy, along with cod, another exquisite appetizer typical in the Basque Country.
Hake in green sauce is a traditional Basque recipe and very easy to prepare. This is the original recipe, but you can add other ingredients such as peas and asparagus. If we also add boiled egg, we have hake a la koxkera, hake Basque style or hake Donostia-style.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
The fishing tradition of the Basque Country and the love of cooking are a perfect combination that, over the years, has given rise to exquisite dishes that are highly acclaimed all over the world.
The origin of this dish is documented and can be traced back to Doña Plácida de Larrea who prepared it in the first week of May 1723.
In a letter that Doña Plácida sent to a friend, she gave details of how she had cooked the hake: in sauce, with plenty of parsley and garnished with asparagus from Tudela, clams and a dozen crabs caught in the waters of the Ibaizabal River. The hake was stewed and served in an earthenware dish.
Over time, some things have changed in this recipe. The crabs, for example, have disappeared completely from the dish.
Ingredients for 4 people:
🔸 8 hake steaks
🔸 500g clams
🔸 1 glass of fish stock
🔸 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
🔸 1 tablespoon of flour
🔸 a splash of white wine
🔸 1 bunch of parsley
🔸 8 asparagus tips
🔸 1 tin of peas
🔸 In a large casserole dish, brown the garlic, cut as finely as possible, with a little olive oil.
🔸 When the garlic is golden brown, taking care not to burn it, add a tablespoon of flour and cook well so that it does not taste floury.
🔸 Add a splash of white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate.
🔸 Next add a glass of fish stock and cook for a little while.
🔸 Finely chop the parsley and add to the casserole. Mix and cook everything together for a couple of minutes.
🔸 Add the hake steaks and leave to cook for 3 or 4 minutes before turning them over.
🔸 Meanwhile, open the clams by placing them in a casserole dish and steam heat until translucent. Strain off the juice they have released into the casserole with the fish.
🔸 One minute before the hake is cooked, add the clams, peas and asparagus tips.
🔸 Heat everything together for one minute and it is ready to serve.
Some suggestions:
🔸 For diners’ convenience, this dish can be made with hake loin instead of steaks.
🔸 By adding hard-boiled egg the dish becomes known as hake a la koskera.
