BAKEDHAKE WITH CELERIAC PUREE, RED WINEá SAUCE AND CRISPY PARMA HAM

Hake is similar to cod, though its superior flavour andsofter texture warrant further attention.  It is landed all around Scotland but, sadly, most of it is exported tocontinental Europe, where it is a prizeddelicacy and not just 'for your cat', as I have seen in some fishmongers. Deep-fried Parmaham is a garnish of the moment.  I've used it with risottos, salads andgame but I think it works best with a robust fish dish such as this one. You can deep-fry it up to 12 hours in advance.  This recipe may seemelaborate but, with a bit of planning, the actual cooking and serving should bereally quite straightforward.  The puree can be made the day beforeand reheated at the last minute and so can the sauce, if you don't add thebutter until just before serving.  Baking is the easiest way to cookfish.  Just get it in the baking dish ready to bang in the oven.

Serves 4

Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
4 slices Parma ham
25 g (1 oz) butter
4 hake fillets, weighing about 175 g (6 oz) each, skinned
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons water or white wine
Freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Celeriac Puree to serve (please see celeriac puree recipe)

For the red wine sauce
150 mlred wine
1 teaspoon black treacle or dark brown sugar
300 ml Fish Stock
25g (1 oz) cold butter, diced

Pour 2 cm of sunflower oil into a medium-sized saucepan ordeep-fat fryer and heat to 180¦C/350¦F.

Deep-fry the Parmaham slices, two at a time, for about 30 seconds, until nice and crisp. Drain them on kitchen paper and set aside.

Now make the red wine sauce.  Bring the wine to theboil in a saucepan, add the treacle or sugar and boil until it is reduced byabout three-quarters, to a thick and foamy syrup.

Add the stock and boil until it is reduced to about 150ml.  Then add the diced butter, a few pieces at a time, swirling the pan asthe butter melts.  The sauce needs to be dark and glossy, so don't betempted to whisk in the butter as this would make it too foamy.

Keep swirling until the butter has been incorporated, thenseason the sauce and keep warm.  If it begins to look as if it mightsplit, heat it up and give the pan a good swirl until you have a glossy sauce.

Keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 230¦C/450¦F/Gas 8

Heavily grease a baking dish with some of the butter andplace the hake fillets in it.  Sprinkle them with the lemon juice, dotgenerously with the rest of the butter and season.

Add the water or wine to the baking dish and bake for 5-6minutes.  Meanwhile, warm through the celeriac puree and have four warmplates ready.

When the fish is cooked, remove from the oven and baste withits juices.  Put some celeriac puree in the centre of each plate, then put the hake on top.  Spoon the sauce around thepuree and place a piece of the Parmaham on each fish fillet.  The soft fish, crispy ham, rich puree and glossysauce compliment each other beautifully.  Serve with wilted greens andboiled new potatoes on the side. 

¬ nick nairn