"The asparagus for this traditional Basque dish would normally be white, but as it’s hard to get fresh white asparagus in the UK, I make it with green instead." - Rick
Alternative fish: haddock, John Dory, monkfish
Serves 4
4 x 175-200g pieces of skinned hake fillet, cut about 2cm thick
Salt
200g aspargus tips, each about 8cm long
250g fresh or fozen peas
Plain flouor, for dusting, plus 1 tbsp
6 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100g finely chopped shallot
1 tbsp flour
175ml dry white wine
100ml fish stock
250g small clams, such as carpetshell, washed
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Season the pieces of hake generously on both sides with salt and set aside for 10–15 minutes. Wash in cold water and pat dry.
Cook the asparagus tips in well-salted water for 2 minutes, then add the peas, bring back to the boil, drain and refresh under cold running water. Leave to drain.
Dust the hake pieces in flour and shake off the excess. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the hake and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown on the outside but not quite cooked through. Lift out on to a plate and set to one side; wipe the pan clean.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the garlic and shallot to the pan and fry over a medium heat for 3 minutes or until soft and lightly golden. Stir in the tablespoon of flour, then gradually stir in the wine and stock to make a smooth sauce. Bring to a simmer, return the hake to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the clams, cover and cook for 2–3 minutes until all the clams have opened and the fish is cooked through. Uncover and scatter over the asparagus tips, peas and parsley. Simmer for a minute or two more until the vegetables have heated through, and serve.
