Hake Fish lightly battered and delicious!....at kitchen! kitchen!

Lightly battered hake fish steaks with grilled sweet onions,
fennel bulb, and a slaw of romaine lettuce.
Drizzle with a layering of fresh and light tomato sauce
and aoili is a treat to your palate.

Hake fish is similar to cod fish.  I never had hake fish before, but looking at the fresh white fillets made me think, "why not"! So, here I was armed with hake fillets. The pieces were cut into rectangular shape like a steak. I wondered if I would be rewarded with a delicious tasting fish. Well, it looks like cod so, it must be good. And indeed the dish turned out be such a rewarding adventure for me.

4 fillets of hake fish (or cod) cut in half
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1/2 cup of flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of corn meal and a pinch of salt - set aside in a bowl
1/4 cup canola oil or olive oil

Grilled Fennel and Sweet White Onion:
1 fennel bulb cut in half - remove the outer skin with blemish and brush with olive oil
1 peeled white onion cut in half  and brushed with olive oil
Grill the fennel bulb and onion until soft and cooked through - set aside

Fish:
Season with salt and pepper; lightly dredge in the flour/corn mixture and shake of the excess
Cook in a hot pan with oil until browned on each side for about 3-4 minutes on each side

Romaine Lettuce:
1 cup of romaine slaw

Tomato Sauce:
6 cherry tomatoes cut in halves or heritage cherry tomatoes
1 small can of tomato juice
1 tsp. of tomato paste
5 cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper
Pinch of red flakes hot pepper *optional*
Sautee the garlic until fragrant in olive oil; add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and hot pepper. Stir and mix well. Add the tomato juice and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add more olive oil if necessary.

Aoili: (Mayonnaise Aoili)
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
3 cloves of garlic minced or pounded into a paste
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl and correct seasoning.

Whole Wheat Pasta With Anchovies......at kitchen! kitchen!

 A delightfully delicious whole wheat pasta with anchovies.
There is nothing complicated about this dish except a promise
of pure delight!


 

The simplicity of a dish will often bring joy to one's palate and makes one think of how good life has been. That maybe after all, Someone up there watches over you. It made me think of my mom and my family back in the Philippines. There is this locally made anchovies from the old country that I always fill up my extra luggage with. These are the wonderful anchovies that I could only get in there. A friend told me that it is available now in California. But somehow, the fact that I struggled  ( you have no idea how much 2 dozens of jars weigh) to bring some with me back to the States made it more special.

My Cupboard:

4-6 pieces of anchovies (Connie's Gourmet Anchovies) or Canned Anchovies)
*Chop 4 anchovies and live 2 whole for garnish later*
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. of hot red pepper flakes
5-6 cloves of mince garlic
a pinch of salt
Whole Wheat Pasta or regular Pasta
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
Basil leaves

Cook the pasta and follow instruction on the package **** reserve some of the pasta water**

Sautee the garlic in a pan with olive oil until fragrant (do not burn) add the tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Stir and add the chopped anchovies, pepper flakes and some pasta water. Simmer for 3-4 minutes adding more pasta water and olive oil as needed. Add the chopped basil and pour in the cooked pasta into the pan and add freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Garnish with whole anchovies and serve with garlic bread.