Hake with Cucumber and Dill Veloute, Dulse Pickled Shallot

Cooking with Paula McIntyre

4 x 175g fillets hake, scaled and pinboned 200ml water 15g seasalt 2 tablespoons oil 25g butter

Place the water and salt in a pan and bring to a simmer until salt has dissolved. Cool completely then submerge the hake in the brine and leave for an hour. Remove and pat dry on kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan ( or line a frying pan with parchment paper to ensure no sticking). Add the oil and heat until hot. Add the hake, skin side down and press into the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until skin is golden. Add the butter and cook for a minute then flip over a cook through on the other side for a couple of minutes. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Cucumber and dill veloute

½ cucumber 1 shallot, finely chopped 15g butter 150ml dry white wine or dry cider 200ml chicken stock 75ml double cream 2 tablespoons chopped dill Salt to taste

If you have a small melon baller, make about 20 balls out of the cucumber. If not, cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then in half again. Scoop out the seeds and cut the cucumber into 1cm dice. Cook the shallot in the butter over low heat until soft – about 5 minutes. Crank up the heat and add the wine. Boil until reduced by half. Add the stock and boil to reduce by half again. Add the cucumber and cream and boil to spoon coating consistency. Check seasoning and add the dill.

Dulse pickled shallots

2 shallots, peeled and sliced as thinly as you can 50ml cider vinegar 50ml water 2 teaspoons castor sugar 1 tablespoon dulse

Bring the cider, water, sugar and dulse to boil until sugar has dissolved. Check seasoning and add the shallots. After an hour remove the dulse and shred finely. Add back to the shallots. When ready to use, drain off. Serve the hake with the sauce around and some pickled shallots on top with a few sprigs dill.