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Merluza a la sidra

Name: Merluza a la sidra
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 4 hake steaks or thick fillets; 600 g waxy potatoes; 2 onions; 3 cloves garlic; 5 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp plain flour; 300 ml dry natural cider; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley

Hake baked in cider

Merluza a la sidra: hake baked in dry cider with onion and potatoes

Features:High protein Dairy free

Cuisine:

Spanish

Asturias has two great loves at table, the fish landed at ports like Cudillero and Avilés and the cider pressed from its orchards, and merluza a la sidra brings them together. Families cook it for Sunday lunch, the hake settled on a bed of soft onion and potato with cider poured over, until the sauce turns sweet-sharp. The cider is alcoholic; cloudy apple juice with a little cider vinegar makes a good alcohol-free swap. Chef's tip: add the hake only when the potatoes are nearly tender, so the fish stays juicy.

Total time: 60 min
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 4

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Ingredients

Serves4

4 hake steaks or thick filletsabout 180 g each, skin on
1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoespeeled, sliced 5 mm thick
2 onionsthinly sliced
3 cloves garlicsliced
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour
1 ¼ cups dry natural cideror 270 ml cloudy apple juice plus 2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped

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Method

0/6 done

Step 1: Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoes with 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp olive oil and half of ½ tsp salt and spread in a roasting dish. Roast for 15 minutes, until starting to soften.
15 min
Step 2: Meanwhile, warm the rest of 3 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook 2 onions and 3 cloves garlic for 12 minutes, until soft and golden but not browned.
12 min
Step 3: Season 4 hake steaks or thick fillets with the rest of ½ tsp salt and dust lightly with 2 tbsp plain flour. Push the onions to the side, fry the hake skin-side down for 2 minutes just to set the outside, then lift it out.
2 min
Step 4: Pour 1 ¼ cups dry natural cider into the onion pan, scraping up the bits, and boil for 2 minutes. Spread the onions over the potatoes, set the hake on top and pour over the cider sauce.
2 min
Step 5: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the hake is opaque and flakes easily with a fork and the potatoes are tender. A common mistake is cooking the fish too long; it turns dry and falls apart.
14 min
Step 6: Spoon the sauce over the fish, scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve straight from the dish.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 420 kcal
Protein: 36 g
Carbs: 36 g
Fat: 15 g
Fibre: 4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does merluza a la sidra take?: About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?: Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
What can I use instead of onions?: 2 shallots per onion.

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