Hake with crushed baby potatoes, buttered spinach and a saffron vinaigrette
Ingredients
2 Fishbox hake fillets, with skin on (optional)
300g of washed baby potatoes
2 handfuls of washed baby spinach
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
20g unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Vinaigrette;
A pinch of saffron
1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
1 tsp (heaped) of Dijon mustard
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Put all the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a small bowl, and whisk together. Season to your taste, and set aside.
2. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water for around 15 minutes until tender, then drain. Return to the pot. Crush lightly with a potato masher, season lightly, and add two tablespoons of vinaigrette. Mix well and keep warm on a very low heat.
3. Meanwhile, pat dry the Hake fillets with kitchen paper and place on a plate, skin side up. Brush the skin with some olive oil, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay, skin side down, in a dry, ripping hot, frying pan, for circa 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Whilst the skin is colouring, brush the flesh side with some olive oil, and season. Once the skin is coloured to your satisfaction, turn the fillets over, and cook the flesh side for 1 minute. Then take the pan off the heat and set aside, with the fillets resting in the pan.
4. Meanwhile, bring another frying pan to a moderate heat. Melt the butter, and add the spinach. Season liberally with sea salt and black pepper, and cook until wilted.
5. Serve on pre-heated plates by laying down some buttered spinach, then some crushed baby potatoes. Top with the hake fillet, and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
