Hake with courgettes, Provençal mussel sauce and crispy breadcrumbs

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Matthew Tomkinson draws on the flavours of Provence for this hake and mussels recipe. Matthew uses Coco de Paimpol beans, a revered white French bean with a creamy flavour and beautifully tender texture.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Hake and courgette

Sauce

Equipment

  • Muslin cloth

Method

1
To start the dish, wash and clean the mussels and set aside to drain
2
Place a large, heavy-based pan on the hob and allow it to get very hot. Tip in the mussels, followed by the wine and quickly put the lid on
  • 20ml of white wine
3
Give the pan a shake and after 3 minutes, lift the lid off and give them a stir. If they are all open, remove from the heat and pour through a colander (saving the juices) and leave to cool
4
Once cool, remove the meat from the shells and rinse in the reserved cooking liquor. Drain again and pass the liquor through muslin cloth to remove any grit
5
Sweat the shallot and garlic in a little olive oil and add the diced tomato. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, pour in the tomato juice and bring to a simmer. Cook until thick
6
Add the mussels, beans, butter, chopped herbs, a squeeze of lemon and enough mussel stock to make a sauce consistency. Set aside until ready to serve
  • 100g of Coco de Paimpol beans, cooked
  • 25g of butter
  • 20g of mixed herbs, dill, chervil and chives, chopped
  • 1/4 lemon
7
Slice the courgette very thinly lengthways and then again into thin strips that resemble linguine. Season with salt, a squeeze of the lemon and a little olive oil - the courgette will wilt slightly. Using a carving fork, twist into 4 neat scrolls and set aside
8
Melt the butter in a frying pan and once it starts to sizzle, add the breadcrumbs. Stir to coat and cook gently until golden brown and crispy. Season and drain on kitchen paper
9
Place a non-stick pan over a medium heat and add a splash of oil. Once hot, lightly brown the pieces of hake. Once almost cooked, season with a little salt and lemon juice, top with the breadcrumbs and place under a hot grill until browned
  • 4 hake fillets, 200g each
  • olive oil
  • 1/4 lemon
  • salt
10
To serve, bring the sauce to a simmer. Check the sauce for seasoning and pour onto 4 serving plates. Add a scroll of courgette to each plate and top with the fish. Serve immediately
First published in 2015

Matthew Tomkinson’s elegant and highly accomplished food earned him a Roux Scholarship in 2005, as well as Michelin stars at The Goose and The Montagu Arms. He now cooks classically influenced comforting dishes at Betony at The Kings Head in Wiltshire.

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