Despite being surrounded by sea and some of the freshest, most delicious fish available, us Irish don’t consume nearly as much fish as we should for health and dietary benefits.
To many, the problem is a slight fear over how to best cook fish at home – but the thing is; it is not nearly as scary as you think.
And the perfect time to start adding more fish to your diet? Barbecue season.
Because this dish, we think, will convince you once and for all to think fish the next time the weather heats up and you gather friends and family over for a barbecue.
SUNSHINE HAKE
SERVES 2
6 green beans
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 x 150g hake fillets, skinned and boned
salt and pepper
60ml olive oil
12 pitted black olives
8 sun-dried cherry tomatoes preserved in oil
1 garlic clove
sprig of fresh thyme
squeeze of lemon
Instructions
1. First cook the green beans and potatoes. Bring two separate pots of water to the boil. Add the green beans to one and the potatoes to the other. Cook the green beans for about 5 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until just tender and cooked through. Drain and set aside.
2. Season the hake well and rub both sides with olive oil. Place on the hot barbecue and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Alternatively, you could wrap the fillets in a tin foil parcel with a little butter, seasoning and some fresh herbs, then pop it on the BBQ for 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Fry the potatoes on a hot pan for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cooked green beans along with the olives, tomatoes, garlic and thyme. Cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant and the vegetables are warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with the hake.
Top tips when cooking fish on the barbecue
- Be sure to preheat your grill on medium / high at about 200-240˚C for 10-15 minutes. It will help the fish to lift in one piece. It also will help in caramelizing the fish and provide the defined grill marks and flavour. It will also help the fish to cook quicker with no opportunity of dry flesh.
- the general cooking advice is to allow for eight to ten minutes of grill time per inch of fish. Therefore, if your fish is an inch in thickness, grill each side for about three to four minutes and cross check with the cooking instruction on your recipe.
- make sure you allow adequate time for your fish to rest after it is off the grill. Three to five minutes is a sufficient amount of time to let the fish relax and allow for the juices to run back into your cut of fish, making it more tender.
- Only flip your piece of fish once while grilling. Do not repeatedly turn and flip it. This will heighten the chance of it breaking apart while being grilled.
- Always remember to grill with the lid down. Each time you open the lid, you add additional cooking time to your fish.
SuperValu is on a Mission to Demystify Ireland’s ‘Fish Fear’ and are encouraging people to make fish part of their home-cooked repertoire at least twice a week. With expert in-store fishmongers and a mouth-watering range of fresh fish SuperValu is the go-to supermarket for all things fishy.
