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Pan-fried hake with heirloom tomato and redcurrant salad

Preparation time
overnight

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 4

By Greg Marchand
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the tomato water

  • 2 banana shallots, peeled and minced
  • ½ bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
  • ½ bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
  • 1kg/2lb 4oz ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • dash sherry vinegar
  • dash white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt

For the croûtons

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 thyme sprig
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • ½ small sourdough bread, crusts removed and bread cut into 2cm/¾in cubes

For the hake

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 x 100g/3½oz hake fillets
  • 25g/1oz unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • ½ bunch fresh basil
  • salt

For the salad

  • 16 fresh almonds in shells
  • 1kg/2lb 4oz heirloom tomatoes of different varieties and colours, cut into big, irregular chunks
  • 125g/4½oz redcurrants or raspberries, picked
  • 16 basil leaves
  • pinch fleur de sel
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. To make the tomato water, place the shallot, herbs, tomato and vinegars in a bowl and blend to a coarse purée using a hand blender (or use a regular blender or food processor). Season with the salt and marinate in the fridge overnight.

  2. To make the croûtons, preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, toss in the thyme, garlic and bread cubes. Fry for 6 minutes, turning often, until nicely golden. Transfer to a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until crisp. Transfer the croûtons to kitchen towels to drain.

  3. To make the hake, heat the oil in a large frying pan and pan-fry the fish, skin-side down, for 2 minutes. Turn the fish over and add the butter, garlic and basil. Baste the fish in the butter mixture and season with salt. Pan-fry for 1–2 minutes until cooked through.

  4. To make the salad, crack the almonds open with a small knife (rather than a nutcracker, which would break the nuts) and peel off the yellow outer skins.

  5. Place the tomatoes in a salad bowl and gently toss with the redcurrants, basil leaves and croûtons. Add the tomato water as desired, season with the fleur de sel and toss again. Sprinkle with the almonds and drizzle with oil.

  6. Delicately place the fish on top of the tomato salad or divide the salad and fish equally between four bowls and serve

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