34 free hake fillet kitchen insights

Did you know that in Spain, hake is considered to be the “king of the fish”?

• Hake may be cooked in a variety of ways, including deep-frying, roasting, grilling, and steaming, which is why it is often referred to as the “king fish.” Consumers have the option of purchasing hake in a variety of preparations, including fresh, breaded, battered, skinless, salted, and smoked varieties. The flesh of the hake is white and low in fat, and it takes on the flavour of almost any marinade or sauce quite well.
• There are various names for the fish known as hake. Many distinct names have been used to refer to this species by various people. Jack Salmon, Pacific Hake, Pacific Whiting, and a variety of other names are also used to refer to this species.
• The waterways of Europe are home to a thriving population of hake. It is possible to find them in the more frigid waters of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Norwegian Sea, as well as in the North Atlantic Ocean, all the way from Iceland to the shores of Portugal and Spain. In addition to this, they may be found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
• However, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, hake is considerably less popular and is typically consumed as the fish that is used in frozen fish fillets, fish fingers, fish cakes, and other processed fish products. This is in contrast to the situation in countries such as France, Spain, and Portugal, where hake is extremely popular to buy from wet fish counters.

Hake nutrition values and health benefits

1. Hake is an excellent food option for those who are working to reduce their caloric intake since a single serving (100 g) has just approximately 90 calories. When compared, a slice of pork of the same size has around 260 calories.
2. Beneficial in terms of selenium content. A healthy immune system requires a lot of different micronutrients, but selenium is one of the most important ones. Additionally, it has qualities that are antioxidant, protecting, and anti-inflammatory. Nearly half of the daily value recommendation for selenium may be obtained from only one serving of hake.
3. Magnesium content is quite high. Magnesium is most often found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, almonds, and whole grains. It is an essential component of enzymes and is involved in the proper operation of both the muscles and the nerves in the body.
4. Provides vitamin B. Vitamin B12 is an essential ingredient for proper cell metabolism as well as normal nerve function, and fish is an excellent source of this vitamin. Although the vast majority of other types of meat may also give it, hake is an excellent option that is lower in calories.
5. Hake has around 18 g of protein per 100-gram serving, which is approximately 15 percent of the daily intake that is recommended. Proteins are the building blocks of the cellular structures, tissue structures, enzymes, and organs that make up our bodies.
6. Omega-3 fatty acids are well-known to be examples of “healthy” fats, and one of the finest food sources for these acids is fish. Even if it is feasible to get omega-3s from other sources such as walnuts, eating seafood and taking fish oil supplements continue to be the most effective strategies to achieve the necessary dose. In addition to playing a critical role in bringing down blood pressure, omega-3 fatty acids also play a role in mitigating the dangers of cardiovascular disease and blood clots.
7. Eating hake is generally considered to be risk-free. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that, when ingested in excessive numbers, may cause harm to the lungs and kidneys. Fish absorb mercury while they are still living, particularly when swimming in water that has an elevated level of it owing to human activity such as the burning of garbage.
8. In addition to that, it is an excellent source of vitamin E, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and thiamine. Furthermore it is a natural source of several other minerals, such as iodine, calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, among others. Iodine is a very necessary trace element for human nutrition, and its presence is required for the production of thyroid hormone.

100g of hake has 82 calories (343kj), 18g protein, 1g fat, and 0g carbs, including 0g fibre.

How to store hake and how to buy them

• Any fish, fresh or frozen, should be purchased at the very last minute before leaving the market to minimise the length of time it spends at unsafe temperatures. Keep it contained in a plastic bag with a tight-fitting lid to avoid cross-contamination of your kitchen surface. If you want to keep the fish cold on the drive back, you should either bring a cooler or place it on ice. Keeping the fish at a temperature of less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit is essential for maintaining its quality. It is best to get it home and into the fridge as quickly as possible after purchasing.
• Preserving freshness for a longer period of time is possible with fish that has been caught recently and has been properly prepared for preservation. Gutting and cleaning fresh fish as soon as possible after catching it is essential, as is storing it properly until it is time to cook it. Fish is best when eaten within 24 hours after being caught for maximum flavour and freshness, but it may be refrigerated for up to three days. Refrigerated raw fish may be stored for up to three days.
• Refrigerating cooked leftovers as soon as they have cooled down is essential. This will lessen the fish’s time spent at room temperature. The fish should spend no more than two hours a day out of the fridge at room temperature. Fish may be stored in a shallow, covered container to chill faster and get to the right temperature more quickly. Cooked fish may be stored for up to three day if refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less. You may keep any leftovers in the freezer for up to a month if they are not eaten within that period.
• The fish should be frozen as soon as possible after it is caught. Properly handling the fish is also essential for producing a high-quality frozen product. Make sure the fish is completely clean before you freeze it. You may freeze fish in a number of different ways. Determining whether you will be freezing whole fish, large pieces, steaks, or fillets will help narrow down your options for how to best preserve the fish in the freezer. Think about how much room you have in your freezer and whether or not you can move it about your house.
• When freezing food, always put a label on the container indicating what is inside and when it was frozen. In this method, you can easily keep track of what is in the freezer and how long it has been there. Make sure all sealed containers are airtight and that fish frozen in ice is completely covered with extra ice to prevent ice crystals from forming on the top. Freezer burn occurs when water is removed from fish, leaving it dry and prone to the formation of ice crystals.
• There are a few ways to determine whether hake has gone rotten.
  1. If you have been storing the fish in the fridge or just discovered it when you opened the door, read the sell-by date before deciding to prepare it. Throw it out if it has been sitting around for more than two days beyond the best-before date.
  2. Take the fish out of the fridge and inspect it for any slime when you get it out. The outside surface will get wetter as it deteriorates, finally developing a thin film of slime.
  3. All fish, whether cooked or uncooked, has an overwhelming fishy stench. The intensity of the fishy odour increases if the fish in the refrigerator has begun to spoil. The stench of decaying flesh will soon fill the air. As soon as you notice a foul odour, throw it away.
  4. When removing fish from the freezer, particularly if it has been there for more than nine months, be on the lookout for indications of freezer burn. Observe the fish’s surface for discoloration and crystalline ice peaks. It is preferable to throw any away that you find, although eating a little will not hurt you. No matter what you do, the flavour will suffer.

Cooking techniques, secrets, and tips from the kitchen

1. There are several different cooking methods that may be used for hake fillets. Poaching in a broth prepared with wine and lemon juice is another option, along with pan-frying in a little bit of lemon juice and butter. Other possibilities include braising with herbs and aromatics (or a combination of the three). Additionally, they may be roasted or baked in an oven. In the case that you have more time, you might consider curing the hake for one to two hours on a combination of sugar, salt, citrus, and herbs prior to baking it in parchment paper with fresh dill and lemon.
2. The Spanish refer to the white fish known as hake as “the king of the fish” due to its size and significance in the water. Hake may grow to be very large. It is a fantastic choice to think about if you are looking for a substitute for other white fish like cod or haddock, for example. Hake has flesh that is quite dense, therefore it may be prepared in a number of ways when it is cooked, such as by grilling the whole fish or by pan-frying the fillets.
3. In order to assess whether or not the tender hake has been properly cooked, you should press down on it and feel that it is firm. It should also seem opaque. Do not get rid of the head and tail of the fish since they may be used to produce a flavourful fish stock or to make fish soup with the remaining fish if you save them.
4. Before cooking the hake without filleting it, make sure that it has been cleaned well and that the gills have been removed. It is common practise to roast the whole hake, but this flavourful fish may also be prepared on the grill, cooked en papillote, or poached to make a delicious meal. During the time that the dish is in the oven, the top should be secured in place with a tight-fitting lid, or it should be wrapped in aluminium foil. In spite of the fact that the flesh of hake is already fairly flavourful, it is recommended that, before to roasting the fish, a sizeable amount of seasoning be inserted both into the cavity of the fish and into the flesh that has been taken out so as to further enhance the flavour.
5. One further reason why hake is so popular, both among professional chefs and home cooks, is that it has a flavour that is light and sweet, which goes well with a variety of different recipes. Hake, like the vast majority of other white fish, may be transformed into a delectable meal by combining it with a range of flavours, such as bacon, horseradish, or coconut. Fishcakes prepared in the manner of Thailand or fish and chips in the United Kingdom. It is used in a wide range of cuisines throughout the globe, including Indian curries, where it pairs particularly well with coriander.
6. The consumption of hake is particularly common in Spain, where the fish is often prepared by grilling or baking it and then being seasoned with chorizo, paprika, or garlic before being consumed.
   • If you are looking for a tasty supper, give roasting hake with chorizo, chickpeas, and coriander a try.
   • In point of fact, it would seem that every region in Spain has its own special take on the traditional hake dish.
   • In the Basque Country, it is often prepared with clams; in Galicia, it is typically prepared with garlic, tomato, and onion; and in Catalonia, it is typically prepared as a stew with potatoes as the primary ingredient.
   • You may prepare hake by cooking it in a pan and serving it with a relish made of red peppers on the side.
7. When cooking hake in the oven or roasting it in the oven, marinating the fish beforehand will give it a particular flavour that will make the whole experience more enjoyable.
   • Hake is a fantastic candidate for marinating since the flavour of the fish is already delicate, and marinades have the added benefit of imparting moisture to the fish.
   • If you want to maintain the texture of the fish, marinate it for no more than an hour. There are many different flavours that may be used to marinade hake.
   • Some of these flavours include soy sauce, oils, vinegar, lemon juice, and/or fennel seeds.
   • Other herbs and spices that can be used include ginger, coriander, garlic, chilli flakes, and fennel seeds.
   • You also have the option of chopping up some fresh herbs and scattering them on top of the fish just before serving.
8. A few of the foods and flavours that go well with hake are potatoes, spinach, peas, lemon, butter, capers, mayonnaise, cream, fennel, and fresh herbs like dill and chive. Hake also goes well with a variety of sauces and condiments.

History of hake from the beginning until today

• Like the herring fishery, which is also said to have originated in Ireland around the year 1000 AD, the hake fishery is also often credited with having established itself there. Aside from herring, hake was the most important fish caught in Irish waters between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era. While the summer months were prime time for hake fishing, fall and winter were prime time for herring fishing.
• Spain, England, and France sent fishing fleets to the Irish coast in the summers of the 15th and 16th centuries to catch hake, a fish that is being taken today. Since then, the top three markets for northern hake from Irish waters have remained unchanged at France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
• From Iceland and Norway to Mauritania, and all the way down the west coast of Africa to the Sahara, you may find hake in the Eastern Atlantic. It is also present in the Black Sea, although only along its southern shores. Although it has been seen as far east as Lithuania, it often does not get beyond the Kattegat in the Baltic Sea.
• In North America, this fish is gaining popularity as a cheaper and just as delicious substitute for cod, haddock, and pollock. The canned and frozen forms of hake are especially well-liked. Though Pacific Hake is the primary fish used in making Surimi (imitation crab), several other species of fish are also used.
• In European countries, fresh hake may be purchased more easily than in the United States. Europe, and especially Spain, has the highest demand for Hake since the fish is considered to be of higher quality than that found in the United States.
• You can get fresh hake easily in the United States, particularly in the areas where it is collected. However, if you live far from the coast, you may have trouble finding fresh hake.
• For a long time, hake’s image in the United States was tarnished by complaints about its soft texture. On the other hand, this good name has just been restored. This disease emerged as a result of improper care, but modern techniques have mostly eradicated it, especially for Pacific Hake.