Hake with Potatoes, Cucumber & Red Lump Roe Salad

Hake with Potatoes, Cucumber & Red Lump Roe Salad.

On our trip we also rediscovered hake, a fish popular in the Scandinavian region. Simply roast the fillets, or for extra texture, sear the fillets quickly on the hot skillet and finish them in the oven. Young potato salad with a tangy crème fraîche based dressing is a perfect partner for the oven baked hake. A dollop of tiny grainy Swedish lump roe adds a rich favor and vibrant color to this otherwise simple potato salad and thin slices of cucumber add the extra crunch and freshness to it. Tantalizing quail eggs are truly a delicacy when boiled to perfection with their yolks still runny. The result is a beautiful plate composed of moist silky hake fillet, bright potato salad and ribbons of fresh cumber with thin slices of radish to add playfulness to the presentation. This dish will go well with either red Pinot Noir from Beaujolais or white Pinot Gris from Alsace both in France.

Ingredients: hake or pacific cod fillets, lemon, new potatoes, English cucumber, quail eggs, Swedish red lump roe, dill,bay leaf, radishes, mayonnaise (French Delouse), crème fraîche, white wine vinegar, chives, chopped (optional), salt, black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil.

I like my eggs to be runny, so I boiled them for two minutes, and then peeled. Once the eggs are ready to be served, cut in half lengthwise.

In a mixing bowl, combine potatoes, thinly sliced cucumber and a spoonful of caviar roe.

Scoop in the dressing and toss carefully to combine. Season with sea salt and freshly ground white/or black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Preheat broiler. Stir together oil, lemon zest, sea salt, and pepper in a bowl, then toss with the fillets. Broil the fillets four inches from heat until just cooked through, eight to 12 minutes (depending on its thickness).

Using a vegetable peeler, make thin cucumber strips. Slice the radishes with a sharp knife or using a mandoline. Set aside.

Bon Appétit!

Svitlana

Hake with Potatoes, Cucumber & Red Lump Roe Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Fish

4 (6-ounces) Hake or Pacific cod fillets (1½ to 2 inches thick)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt

Potato Salad

1 pound new potatoes
1 small English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
6 quail eggs, boiled and peeled
1 tablespoon Swedish red lumpfish roe or other caviar
Chervil or dill, for garnishing
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Bay leaf

Cucumber ribbons salad

4 mini cucumbers
2 radishes
Chervil, to garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Dressing

4 tablespoons mayonnaise (French Delouse)
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Chives, chopped (optional)
Sea salt and ground white/or black pepper, to taste

Directions

Quail eggs In a medium saucepan pour enough cold water to cover quail eggs by about half an inch then bring the water to a boiling point. Boil for 2-3 minutes (if you like your eggs runny-2 minutes, hard boiled-3 minutes time), using a slotted spoon transfer the eggs to the ice water to cool completely. Carefully peel and set aside.
Potatoes Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted cold water over high heat, add one bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook for 12 minutes. Allow the potatoes to cool completely before slicing them into quarters. Once sliced in half, peel the skin, it will come off easily.
To make the dressing Whisk together mayonnaise, crème fraîche and vinegar. Add chopped dill and season to taste.
To make the potato salad In a mixing bowl, combine potatoes, thinly sliced cucumber and a spoonful of caviar roe. Scoop in the dressing and toss carefully to combine. Season with sea salt and freshly ground white/or black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Cucumber ribbon salad Using a vegetable peeler, make thin cucumber strips. Slice the radishes with a sharp knife or using a mandoline. Set aside.
To make the fish Preheat broiler. Stir together oil, lemon zest, sea salt, and pepper in a bowl, then toss with the fillets. Broil the fillets 4 inches from heat until just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes (depending on its thickness). To serve Place the potato salad on one side of the diner plate and top with 3 halves of quail eggs. Artfully arrange ribbons of fresh cucumber and slices of radish on the other sides of the plate, drizzle with some olive oil. Place the hake fillet in between two salads, top each fillet with a dollop of caviar roe. Add some chervil to the salads for garnish and serve immediately. Wine Pairing Red wine Chateau de Raousset Fleurie, Beaujolais, France 2012 or White wine F E Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve, Alsace, France 2010