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.