Roast hake with chorizo, chickpeas and coriander

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The saltiness of the chorizo and bacon perfectly balances the earthy chickpeas and fresh coriander in this delicious roasted hake recipe from Geoffrey Smeddle. An easy-to-cook recipe, developed by the chef for the Sunday Herald, you'll just need to make sure you soak the chickpeas overnight first. Alternatively, you can buy tinned, cooked chickpeas and save yourself some prep time.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Roast Hake Recipe

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender

Method

1
To start this roast hake recipe you need to begin with your chickpeas. Soak the chickpeas overnight in cold water, ensuring there is twice the volume of water to chickpeas
2
Once soaked, strain off the water, place the chickpeas in a colander and rinse well under cold running water
3
Transfer them to a large pan and add the carrot, onion, bacon and a good glug of olive oil
4
Add enough water to rise at least a couple of inches above the chickpeas, then simmer until very tender, keeping an eye on the water in case it needs topping up
5
Once the chickpeas are cooked, let them cool in the liquor, removing the vegetables and bacon
6
Once cool, take about a fifth of the chickpeas out of the liquid, place in the jug of a blender with the cream and, if needed, a little cooking liquid, then process to a coarse purée . Store in a tub until needed
  • 150ml of double cream
7
Place the chorizo in a pan of cold water, bring to a simmer and then strain immediately. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, cut the meat into 1cm dice and place in a pan large enough to hold the chickpeas too
8
Cook on a moderate heat until the chorizo is gently sizzling, add the rest of the chickpeas and enough cooking liquid so the pan is moist
9
When hot, add the chickpea purée, taste for seasoning and keep warm while cooking the hake
10
Heat a large non-stick pan and add a generous amount of oil. Season the skin of the hake with salt and place in the pan skin side down, frying each piece for about 4 minutes until the skin crisps
  • 2kg hake fillet, scaled and pin boned
  • salt
11
Turn the hake over and remove the pan from the heat. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice to the pan, spooning the juices over the hake as it frys
  • 4 lemons, three cut into wedges, one for juicing
12
Add the coriander to the chickpeas, taste for seasoning then arrange on a platter. Place the fillets of hake on top, spoon over the pan juices and serve
First published in 2015

Geoffrey Smeddle, proprietor and chef of The Peat Inn in Fife, started his career working for Herbert Berger at The Café Royal and for Christopher Galvin in London. He then sealed his reputation as one of Scotland’s top chefs by opening Terence Conran's Etain, in Glasgow.

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