WE ARE STILL OPERATING HOME DELIVERIES!
We're currently experiencing extremely high demand, with a 1 to 2 day delay on delivery date. Please rest assured that we're doing everything we can to get your order to you as quickly as possible.

Total: £0.00

Blog Menu

Product was successfully added to your shopping cart.

Merluza a la Koskera

35 mins

4 people

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

Merluza a la koskera is a classic Basque dish using fresh line-caught hake, which is gently poached in a traditional salsa verde sauce made from chopped garlic, olive oil, fish stock and chopped parsley and served with tender white asparagus, fresh peas and hard-boiled eggs. My version is slightly refined by pan-frying the hake beforehand and serving it with sauté white asparagus, salsa verde and soft-boiled quail eggs.

Ingredients
Method

4 x 200g pieces of fresh hake, skin on
100g of fresh peas
8 fresh white asparagus
8 quail eggs
For the salsa Verde:
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of plain flour
200ml of fish stock
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste

Firstly, blanch the peas in boiling water and salt for 3 minutes and refresh in ice cold water.
Trim and peel the white asparagus and again blanch in boiling water and salt for 6 minutes and refresh in ice cold water.
For the quail eggs, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Lower the eggs into the water for three minutes, timing them precisely. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with iced water, and when the eggs are done, remove with a slotted spoon and plunge them straight into the bowl. Leave them for five minutes and then peel, patting dry and removing all the shell.
Place the oil and garlic in a large shallow frying-pan and warm on a gentle heat for two minutes until the garlic begins to jump. Add the flour and cook slowly for a further one minute. Slowly begin to add the fish stock, mixing thoroughly until you get a sauce with the consistency of single cream. Cook for a further one minute on a low heat and set aside.
Heat a frying pan on a moderate heat, season the hake fillets on both sides and pan fry skin side down for 3 minutes or until crispy and well charred. Turn the fish over, add the asparagus and fry for a further minute. Place the fish skin side up and asparagus in the sauce and gently poach for a further 2 minutes, adding the peas half-way through. Add the chopped parsley and mix carefully until the sauce gains a rich green colour. Check the sauce for seasoning and serve with quartered soft-boiled quail eggs.

Ingredients

4 x 200g pieces of fresh hake, skin on
100g of fresh peas
8 fresh white asparagus
8 quail eggs
For the salsa Verde:
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of plain flour
200ml of fish stock
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste

Method

Firstly, blanch the peas in boiling water and salt for 3 minutes and refresh in ice cold water.
Trim and peel the white asparagus and again blanch in boiling water and salt for 6 minutes and refresh in ice cold water.
For the quail eggs, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Lower the eggs into the water for three minutes, timing them precisely. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with iced water, and when the eggs are done, remove with a slotted spoon and plunge them straight into the bowl. Leave them for five minutes and then peel, patting dry and removing all the shell.
Place the oil and garlic in a large shallow frying-pan and warm on a gentle heat for two minutes until the garlic begins to jump. Add the flour and cook slowly for a further one minute. Slowly begin to add the fish stock, mixing thoroughly until you get a sauce with the consistency of single cream. Cook for a further one minute on a low heat and set aside.
Heat a frying pan on a moderate heat, season the hake fillets on both sides and pan fry skin side down for 3 minutes or until crispy and well charred. Turn the fish over, add the asparagus and fry for a further minute. Place the fish skin side up and asparagus in the sauce and gently poach for a further 2 minutes, adding the peas half-way through. Add the chopped parsley and mix carefully until the sauce gains a rich green colour. Check the sauce for seasoning and serve with quartered soft-boiled quail eggs.

Add To Basket

Txakoli Zudugarai 2019

£13.25

Chef's Profile

Javier De La Hormaza

Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier's passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.

Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco

Ibérico Ham and Dulce de...

47 mins

8 to 10 people

Ibérico Ham Croissants

6hrs 45mins

6 people

Bonito Tuna Balls in Tomato...

1hr 05 mins

4 people

Albondigas al Jerez

45 mins

6 people

Browse by Category

Sign up for Weekly Recipes

Latest Posts

Ibérico Ham and Dulce de Leche Brownies
September 9, 2020
Ibérico Ham Croissants
May 19, 2020
Bonito Tuna Balls in Tomato Sauce
May 10, 2020

Do you want 10% OFF your first order?*

*This offer is only available to new customers who have not made a purchase from Basco before. The discount code can only be used once per customer. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer, promotion or discount. Please note that we cannot refund the 10% discount if you forget to use it on your first order, you can always use it on your second!

Basco is an online Spanish food shop that sources, imports & sells only the finest & most authentic Spanish foods throughout the UK and Europe. Buy Spanish food online with us today, you won't be disappointed.

Explore

Contact us

Tel: 01937 845 767
Email: info@bascofinefoods.com
Unit 427C Birch Park
Thorp Arch Estate
Wetherby, West Yorkshire
LS23 7FG

Merluza a la Koskera