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.

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