Butter Poached Hake – by Eddie Attwell

Butter Poached Hake with Mussels, Orange and Green Peppercorn, New Potato, Roast Onion and Sea Herbs

By Chef Eddie Attwell, Great British Menu 2016 and 2017

Ingredients:

Hake portion

Mussesl

Shallots

Orange Zest

Orange Juice

White wine

Milk

Cream

Thyme

Garlic

Green peppercorns

 

Hake:

1: Remove the skin from the hake portion

2: In a hot pan, colour the skin side of the flesh, transfer to the butter bath (keep the butter around 55 degrees celcius)

3: Allow to cook through – approx 12 minutes

 

Method:

1: In a hot pan add shallots, garlic, thyme and peppercorns along with the mussels and orange zest, shortly after add wine and orange juice to cover.

2: Cover the pot and allow to steam

3: Once the mussels have opened, pass the sauce from the pan and reserve the mussel meat.

4: Reduce the mussel stock to a glaze, add the cream, when it boils add the milk and take off the heat (use half the amount of milk to cream to lighten the sauce.)

5: To serve, reheat the mussels in a little of the sauce, in another pane bring the sauce to a gentle simmer then aerate with a stick blender.

 

Roast Onion:

1:Cut the baby onions in half through the root.  Place down in a hot dry pan and allow the onions to take on as much colour as possible, when colour is reached add a little water and salt to steam them then wrap until ready to serve.

2:Peel the centre shells from the onions to place on the dish, transfer the rest of the onion to a pan and pour over a little cream.

3:Bake in the oven for approx 25 minutes then transfer to a blender for a smooth puree.

Sea Herbs:

1: Make a simple butter emulsion – 2 parts water, 1 part butter

2: Allow to simmer and drop the sea herbs into the solution for approx 10 seconds, pat dry on paper towel and garnish dish.