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This, I have to admit, is one of my husband’s recipes, originally made with monkish I believe. The basic recipe has been Africanized somewhat… I should also say that hake is probably the fish in the Durban area, probably more popular even than snooker. It’s the fish used as fish and chips and the fish used in fish curry. I’m not so fond if it myself, possibly because the most commonly available form is baby hake. This recipe requires a generous 2kg steak. We last had this as a slightly lighter meal for the day after Christmas (Boxing Day or St Stephen’s day) last year. I really love fish and sometimes something lighter is just good amongst the over-indulgence of the Yuletide season. For the fish, you need a large animal, with the steak being butterfly filleted and pin boned (a good fishmonger will do this for you, though we had to do it ourselves). Normally porcini mushrooms would be recommended for the ‘gravy’, however we could only find dried mixed South African mushrooms, so we used those (the result was really good).
Prep time 15 min/Cook time 100 min/Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the stuffing
50g (1/4 cup) butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
100g (3 ½ oz_ shallots, peeled and diced
1 celery stick, finely diced
100g (3 ½ oz) chestnut mushrooms, coarsely chopped
100g peeled cooked chestnuts, coarsely chopped (we used vacuum packed from the local Spar)
1 chilli, finely chopped (we used a habanero, use a milder one or omit)
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
100g (3 ½ oz) cavolo nero (or substitute English spinach or Swiss chard)
1 generous splash white-wine vinegar
Nutmeg, for grating
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for drizzling
For the dried mushroom ‘gravy’:
30g (1 oz) dried mushrooms (porcini would be best)
50g (1/4 cup) butter, plus 25g (1/8 cup) chilled cubed butter, to finish
3 medium onions, peeled, halved and cut into thin half-moons
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
100ml (2/5 cup) white wine vinegar
150ml (3/5 cup) sherry vinegar
Method:
Start with the dried mushroom gravy. Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl, add 350ml (1 2/5 cups) hot water and set aside to macerate.
Melt the 50g (1/4 cup) butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and when foaming add the onions, garlic, thyme and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, for 10-15 minutes, until the onions are starting to caramelise. Turn up the heat, add the white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan, then add the sherry vinegar and leave to bubble away until the volume has reduced by half.
Add the soaked mushrooms and their soaking liquid (be careful of the grit in the bottom), bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by two-thirds. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean pan, check the seasoning and set aside.
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/390°F/gas mark 6), and while you’re waiting for it to come up to temperature, prepare the stuffing. Melt the butter in a large, no-stick frying pan over medium heat, then add the garlic, shallots, chilli (if using) and celery, and cook to soften for about five minutes. Add the mushrooms, fry for three or four minutes more, then stir in the chestnuts and thyme. Add the spinach leaves, cover the pan and leave to cook for about a minute, until the leaves have wilted. Remove the lid, mix well, then add a generous splash of white wine vinegar, grate in a little nutmeg, and season to taste.
Cut six 40cm (16 in) lengths of butcher’s twine, and lay them out 3-4cm (1 ½ in) apart on a large, clean work surface. Open out the butterflied hake so it’s flat, then sit it skin side down on top of the pieces of string. Spoon the stuffing mixture along the center of the fillet, then carefully fold one side of the fillet over the filling. Tie up the string, ideally with butcher’s knots; though even two granny knots per piece of string will do if need be. Once done, cut off any excess string. Don’t worry if some of the stuffing comes out while you’re tying: just push it back in once the fish is secured.
Line a large oven tray with grease proof (waxed) paper, drizzle over some olive oil and carefully place the hake on top. Drizzle the top of the fish with more olive oil, season generously, then bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with a sheet of foil and leave to rest for five minutes.
While the fish is resting, gently reheat the gravy, then stir in the chilled cubed butter, to give the gravy a lovely, glossy finish. Transfer the fish to a large platter and serve with a jug of the gravy, or carve the joint into thick slices, arrange on individual warm plates and drizzle each serving with gravy.
