Light and tender, fresh hake for dinner is surely one of the loveliest meals in the world, especially when you have access to really fresh fish. Served with a dollop of creamy garlic mayonnaise and golden potato chips, it’s a huge treat anytime of the year, for lunch or dinner alike. Enjoy it with a crisp glass of Spier’s Creative Block 2.
Note: If you’re not keen on making aioli from scratch, use store-bought mayonnaise with a clove of finely grated garlic and a squirt of lemon juice.
Ingredients
For the crusted hake: (serves 4)
- 4 slices white bread
- 1/4 cup (60ml) grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chopped fresh herbs (sage, parsley and/or basil works well)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) cake flour
- salt & pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon (2,5ml) paprika
- 2 XL eggs
- about 600g hake fillets, preferably boneless, cut into individual portions
- about 1/4 cup (60ml) canola oil, for frying
For the aioli:
- 3 XL egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- about 1/2 cup (125 ml) canola oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Method
- Make the aioli first: place the yolks, mustard, lemon juice and garlic in a tall cup (wide enough for your stick-blender to fit into) and blend with a stick blender. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream with your other hand, until the mixture emulsifies and forms a thick, smooth mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a wider dipping bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- Make the crumbs: break the bread into large chunks and add it to a food processor along with the parmesan and herbs. Process to fine crumbs, then transfer to a shallow wide bowl.
- Place the flour in another shallow wide bowl, season with salt and pepper, add the paprika and mix well.
- Place the eggs in a third wide shallow bowl and whisk to break the yolk apart.
- Dip each hake fillet in the seasoned flour, then into the eggs, then into the crumbs, making sure that you cover it all over. Place the crumbed portions on a clean plate, ready for frying.
- In a large wide pan, heat the oil over medium heat, then fry the crumbed portions in batches on both sides until golden – it will colour quickly because of the parmesan, so don’t let it get too dark. Transfer the pieces to a lined baking tray and place in the preheated oven for about 6 to 8 minutes to finish cooking (adjust baking time according to thickness of fillets – very thin fillets might not require extra baking).
- Serve hot with crispy potato chips and aioli.
About the wine: Creative Block 2
Gooseberries, limes and subtle cassis reveal this wine’s tropical character, while underlying notes of fynbos and a touch of white asparagus deliver serious depth. The palate is young and tropical, leading to a long, mineral tail that is tight and structured. Made with grapes hand-picked in the Tygerberg, Helderberg and Darling regions, the wine matured for 6 months on the lees before bottling.
