Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Breaded Hake with Peas and Beans
Sid Barret is dead. I know, this is not exactly food related news, but I still felt I had to say it. As one of the founding members of Pink Floyd he has had a surprising influence on today's culture even though few people actually know or recognise his name. I knew nothing of the man who inspired a generation of musicians until a few months ago when I developed a strange, albeit short lived, fascination with the man. So, despite the irrelevance of the event to my personal life, I was quite sad when I heard the news.Now, with this off my chest, let's return to dinner. It is actually last night's dinner that I want to turn to, for, unlike today's salad, it was rather interesting. I still had that lovely hake in the fridge, which, smothered in a crust made from the remaining half loaf and served alongside a mixture of peas and broad beans with bacon and onion, made a very nice dinner for a slightly cooler summer evening.
For the fish:
½ loaf of white bread, crust removed
2 tbsp mixed fresh herbs (I used oregano, basil, and chives, but dill, thyme or tarragon along with many others would work too)
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
1 large hake fillet (about 400 to 500g) (obviously, any white fish or flat fish can be substituted, just adjust the cooking time)
For the peas:
1 tbsp olive oil
75g unsmoked bacon lardons
50g small onions (such as pearl onions or small shallots)
few sprigs of thyme, leaves only
100g peas (weighed without the shell and defrosted if frozen)
100g fresh broad beans (weighed without the shell. If you can't get fresh beans, don't use canned ones, as the texture is wrong for this dish. Substitute more peas, or thinly sliced runner beans, sugar snaps or green beans and adjust the cooking time accordingly)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Put the bread into a food processor and blend into crumbs. Add the herbs along with some salt and pepper (if you like) and pulse again. Add the olive oil and eggs and blend to form a smooth paste.
Bring a medium saucepan full of water to the boil. Add the beans and blanch until just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again and set aside.
Heat the olive oil for the peas in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bacon until golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Add the onions and thyme to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes.
Lay the fish fillet onto a non-stick baking sheet. Spread the herb and bread mixture onto the fish to cover. Place in the oven and bake until golden and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
In the meantime finish off the pea and bean mix. Add the peas, beans and crispy bacon to the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the peas are tender, adding a few spoonfuls of water id the pan appears dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Christine at 11:05 pm
