Hake with Pumpkin

Hake with Pumpkin
Fishboxer Fishbox HQ from Muir of Ord

This recipe requires quite a bit of effort but the end result is definitely worth the extra work. Why not impress your friends?

Ingredients

  • 2 x 150g hake fillets (skin on)
  • 2 x 150g hake fillets (skinned)
  • 450g pumpkin (half thinly sliced, half diced)
  • shallot (finely chopped)
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 60ml dry white wine
  • 80ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp cornflour (mixed with some cold water)
  • 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp runny honey
  • tbsp double cream
  • 5g fresh parsley
  • 5g fresh chives, chopped
  • 1/4 lemon (juiced)
  • 100g veal brawn
  • slice of bread toast (halved lengthwise and horizontally)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • lettuce leaves
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Roughly dice the skinned hake fillets.
  2. Place the hake fillets with skin on into a container with a lid and freeze for approximately 30 minutes.
  3. Toast the bread, remove the crusts and cut in half.
  4. Puree the diced fish with the cream, parsley and chives and season with salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice.
  5. Remove the hake fillets from the freezer and brush the skinless side with the hake, cream and herb mixture.
  6. Thinly slice the veal brawn and top the hake fillets until they are covered.
  7. Brush more of the hake, cream and herb mixture on top.
  8. Place half a slice of toast of top of each hake fillet.
  9. Thinly slice half of the pumpkin and dice the other half.
  10. Cut flower shapes out of the pumpkin slices.
  11. Finely chop the shallot and fry in a pan with 1 tbsp butter until soft.
  12. Add the pumpkin flowers and cubes to the pan and fry for 2 minutes.
  13. Add the wine and stock to the pan and simmer on a medium heat for approximately 8 minutes.
  14. Add the cornflour mixture whilst stirring to thicken the sauce.
  15. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar and honey.
  16. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the hake fillets on the toasted side for approximately 2 minutes, until golden brown.
  17. Season the other side with salt and pepper.
  18. Turn the fish over and reduce the heat.
  19. Add the remaining butter to the pan and steep the fish for 3-4 minutes.
  20. Blanche four lettuce leaves in boiling salt water for approximately 1 minute.
  21. Remove the lettuce leaves from the water, quench with cold water, pat dry and cut into squares.
  22. Remove the hard ribs from the remaining lettuce leaves and cut into thin strips.
  23. Arrange the lettuce squares on plate, add the lettuce strips and arrange one fish fillet on top with the bread facing upwards.
  24. Arrange the pumpkin decoratively around the edge and serve immediately.