Pan fried hake with fennel salad and pea purée recipe

Just because you are cooking for one does not mean that you should not treat yourself to a good meal. Far from it. I believe that if you are ‘home alone’ it is even more of a reason to cook yourself a tasty meal. It does not need to be expensive or even take long  to cook but you should NEVER sacrifice on flavour! Cooking for yourself also has the advantage of allowing you to be a little bit selfish; in far as the fact that you can cook exactly what you fancy eating and when. Well last night I fancied fish!
Hake is a  rather underrated fish but is truly delicious and has a wonderful delicate flavour. It is also often a cheaper alternative to cod. Hake is also very good for you particularly if you are trying to reduce your cholesterol. So there you have it; tasty, cheap and healthy, what more can you ask from the humble hake?
When buying hake, it is important to buy hake when it is very fresh (on the day) so that the flesh remains firm. So find a good fishmonger!

1 fillet of hake (approx. 170g )
1/2 bulb of fennel
7-8 of cherry tomatoes halved
juice of a  lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Cut the fennel in half and slice very thinly. Place in a bowl  with the lemon juice and tomatoes. Add half a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Rub the hake fillet with half a tablespoon of  olive oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Heat a frying pan then place the hake skin side down. Using a fish slice press down gently on the fish to stop it curling up cook for 3-4 minutes and turn over when when the skin is crispy. Cook for a further 3 minutes and turn off the heat and  lightly cover with foil, leave to rest for a minute or two. Check  the fish is cooked  by inserting a knife into the fillet  (it should go in easily), if it is not done leave it to rest a little longer under the foil.Take care, it is important not to over cook the fish or it will collapse. To serve, pile the salad on a plate and top with the fish. Pour any remaining dressing from the salad over the fish.
Serves 1