I CHOSE Hake with this recipe as its becoming more and more is a popular choice as it’s a nice light fish whether it be fried, grilled or pickled. I particularly like to put it on our lunch menu at this time of year.

Serves 4

4 Hake portions ( with skin on )

¼ pint white wine

100G pink prawns

3-4 shallots

1 Pkt spinach

100ml double cream

Small jar of capers

100g butter

2 Plum tomatoes

1 Pkt chives

2 Shallots

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees. Peel and slice the shallots thinly. Melt the butter in a pan, add the shallots and fry lightly gaining no colour, when that’s done add the white wine and reduce the sauce on the heat until it becomes sticky, almost dry. Then add the double cream and bring to the boil. Chop up the butter and add into the cream by whicsking, this way the butter melts as you are doing it. You are looking for a nice shiny buttery texture. Pass through a fine sieve, season to taste and then put to one side.

Core and score the plum tomatoes, put into a small pan of boiling salted water for about 10 – 15 seconds, take out and pop into iced salted water, once cold take out and peel the skin, cut into 4, de-seed, then put onto a paper towel or clean dish towel to dry, then cut into even dice. Chop the chives and the shallots finely.

Season the hake on both sides, then put into a hot frying pan skin side down achieving a nice golden colour, then turn over and doing the same on the other side, then put back to skin side down, place in the oven for about 5 – 6 minutes While the fish is in the oven, pick and wash the spinach, place in a wide hot pan with a little butter until wilted, then season to taste Bring the sauce to the boil, then add in the shallots, chives, tomatoes, capers and prawns and stir in for a minute.

Dressing the plate

Put the spinach on the middle of the plate, placing the hake on top, then sauce around the fish.

Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or Restaurant, 176 West Regent St. Glasgow, G2 4RL Telephone 0141 248 3801 email: info@ brianmaule.com website: www.brianmaule.com