Cornish Hake with Shellfish Bisque, Confit Potato and Samphire
Crisp skinned Cornish hake over a silky shellfish bisque, with confit potato, glazed carrot and buttered samphire, our signature fish main brought home.
This is our Cornish hake recipe as we plate it at the Riverside, a proper restaurant fish main you can absolutely cook at home. Crisp skinned hake sits on a deeply savoury shellfish bisque, with confit potato, glazed carrot, buttered samphire and a scattering of sea herbs.
The bisque is the hero, and it is worth every minute. Made from the prawn or langoustine shells most of us throw away, it is roasted, simmered and reduced until it tastes of the sea in the best possible way. Better still, it can be made a day or two ahead, which turns this into a relaxed dish rather than a race against the clock.
The other secret is crisp skin. Dry the fillet well, salt the skin and let it cook undisturbed, and hake rewards you with a shatteringly crisp finish over sweet, just set flakes. We have kept every step achievable in a domestic kitchen while staying true to the plate that leaves our pass.
Hake is a sustainable choice when it is well sourced, so look for Cornish, line caught or MSC certified fish from a good fishmonger, and ask for it scaled with the pin bones removed.
Method
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1
Make the bisque first, ideally a day ahead. If using whole prawns, twist off the heads and peel away the shells, reserving every head and shell. Keep the peeled prawn meat for another dish or freeze it. Pat the shells dry on kitchen paper.
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2
Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pan over a high heat. Add the prawn heads and shells and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often and pressing the heads with a wooden spoon to release their juices, until deep pink and smelling toasted.
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3
Lower the heat to medium and add the butter, onion, carrot, celery, fennel if using and garlic. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until softened but not coloured, then stir in the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes more.
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4
Pour in the brandy and let it bubble for 1 minute, then add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, tarragon, parsley, orange peel and the cold water or fish stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
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5
Strain the bisque through a fine sieve into a clean pan, pressing the shells and vegetables hard with a ladle to draw out all the liquid, then discard the solids. Return the pan to the heat and simmer until reduced to about 400ml.
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6
Stir in the double cream and warm through without boiling. Season with fine sea salt, a pinch of cayenne and a squeeze of lemon. It should be glossy and lightly coat the back of a spoon. Set aside, or cool and chill for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
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7
For the confit potato, peel the potatoes and trim them into 8 neat rectangles or cylinders about 4cm long (2 per person). Sit them snugly in a small ovenproof pan with the garlic and thyme, then pour over enough olive oil or duck fat to cover them completely.
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8
Cook the potatoes very gently at 140C (fan 120C, Gas 1) for 45 to 55 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Alternatively, hold them at the barest simmer on the hob. Leave to cool in the oil (they will keep, submerged in the oil, in the fridge for up to 2 days).
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9
For the glazed carrots, peel and cut them into batons, or halve baby carrots lengthways. Put them in a wide pan with the butter, honey, salt and enough water to come halfway up. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, rolling now and then, until tender and the liquid has reduced to a shiny glaze. Keep warm.
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10
Blanch the samphire in a pan of unsalted boiling water for 45 seconds, then lift it straight into iced water to keep it green and crisp. Drain well. Do not season it, as samphire is naturally salty.
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11
When you are ready to serve, gently reheat the bisque and the carrots, and lift the confit potatoes from their oil onto kitchen paper. Warm a splash of the confit oil in a nonstick pan and colour the potatoes on their cut sides until golden, season with flaky sea salt, then keep warm.
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12
Take the hake out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking and pat the skin very dry. Season the skin generously with fine sea salt. Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a nonstick or well seasoned frying pan over a medium high heat until it shimmers.
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13
Lay the fillets in skin side down, away from you, and press each one flat with a fish slice for 20 seconds so the skin stays in full contact with the pan. Cook without moving for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh has turned opaque most of the way up the sides.
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14
Add the 15g butter, turn the fillets over and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes, spooning the foaming butter over the top. The hake is ready when the flesh is just opaque and flakes easily, about 55 to 58C at the centre on a probe (cook to 63C if you prefer it fully firm). Lift onto a warm plate, squeeze over a little lemon and rest for 1 minute.
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15
Meanwhile, warm the blanched samphire in a small pan with its 15g butter over a low heat for about 1 minute, just until glossy and hot.
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16
To plate, spoon a pool of warm shellfish bisque into each shallow bowl. Sit two confit potatoes to one side and arrange the glazed carrots and samphire around them. Rest the hake skin side up on top so the skin stays crisp, scatter over the sea herbs and serve at once.
Chef's tips
- Make the bisque ahead. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 1 month, so you can build the flavour on a quiet day and simply reheat to serve.
- Short on time, use a shortcut bisque. A tub of fresh shellfish or lobster bisque from the fishmonger, reduced a little with a splash of cream, a drop of brandy and a squeeze of lemon, will get you most of the way there.
- Choose hake with sustainability in mind. Look for Cornish, line caught or MSC certified fillets from a good fishmonger, and ask for it scaled with the pin bones removed. Pollack, cod or haddock all work in its place.
- This dish is naturally gluten free as written, which suits coeliac guests as long as your stock and brandy are gluten free. Please note it contains fish, shellfish and dairy.
A white with a little weight stands up to the bisque beautifully. Try a white Burgundy, a rounded Chardonnay or a lees aged Albarino.
Taste the Cornish Hake as we plate it.
Confit Potato, Samphire, Carrot, Shellfish Bisque, Sea Herbs
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