Entree: Spain – Basque Country – Kokotxas de Merluza (Hake cheeks gently cooked and served in a silky garlic and olive oil pil‑pil sauce)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 25 min

Total 45 min

Ingredients

- 12 hake cheeks, approx. 1 lb (450 g) total
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 dried guindilla chile (or 1 small dried red chile)
- 2 tbsp (15 g) all-purpose flour, for light dusting
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine or fish stock
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fish stock (optional, to loosen sauce)
- 1/4 cup (15 g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- Salt to taste
- 1 lb (450 g) baby potatoes, scrubbed (to serve)

Instructions

1. Prepare potatoes: place baby potatoes in salted water, bring to a boil and simmer 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain and keep warm.
2. Lightly dust the hake cheeks with 2 tbsp (15 g) flour and season with a little salt.
3. In a wide shallow sauté pan, warm 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil over low heat. Add the sliced garlic and the dried guindilla; cook gently until garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned, then remove the garlic and guindilla and set aside in oil.
4. Increase heat to medium; add the dusted hake cheeks in a single layer and sear briefly 1–2 minutes per side until just set. Remove the cheeks and keep warm.
5. Reduce heat to low. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) white wine or 1/2 cup (120 ml) fish stock to the pan to deglaze. Using a small whisk or by moving the pan in a circular motion, vigorously emulsify the oil and stock to form a glossy pil‑pil sauce—this may take 3–5 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes silky.
6. Return the hake cheeks to the pan to warm through briefly in the pil‑pil sauce, spooning the glossy sauce over them. Scatter the reserved sliced garlic and parsley over the fish.
7. Serve immediately with boiled baby potatoes and lemon wedges, spooning extra pil‑pil sauce over the fish and potatoes.