Hake, Butternut, Citrus

A subtly spiced dish of pan seared hake and butternut and ras el hanout purée with a citrus and herb dressing and toasted almonds. A light midweek supper which is easy to prepare.

Great served with steamed broccoli topped with toasted almonds and golden sultanas.

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Hake, Butternut, Citrus
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Hake and Dressing: 4 Hake Fillets (Skinned), 2 Oranges (Segmented), 2 Lemons (Segmented), 2tsp Chopped Dill, 2tsp Chopped Basil, 1tsp Preserved Lemon Rind (Chopped), Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Flaked Almonds (Toasted)

For the Butternut Purée: 1 Butternut (Skinned, De-Seeded and Chopped), 2tbsp Unsalted Butter, 300ml Milk, Sea Salt, 2tsp Ras El Hanout

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Method:

1) Prepare the dressing: Chop the orange and lemon segments into small dice and place in a bowl (together with the juice from chopping) with the dill, basil and preserved lemon. Stir well to combine and season to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

2) Make the purée. Melt the unsalted butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped butternut and fry in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the milk, bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer the butternut for 20 minutes until tender. Strain the butternut from the liquid (reserving the liquid) and transfer to a blender. Add a little of the reserved cooking liquor to loosen and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a clean pan and season with sea salt to taste. Stir through the ras el hanout to taste and keep warm.

3) Place a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add a little olive oil. Season the hake fillets with sea salt and pan sear for 2-4 minutes each side (depending on thickness) until cooked through.

4) Serve the hake with the butternut and ras el hanout purée, citrus dressing and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

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Enjoy!

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Onion and Butternut Bhaji

These have to be the most moreish and satisfying snack imaginable! Beautifully crisp and spiced, a mixture of butternut and onion makes for a great balance of texture with a subtle sweetness. These will knock the version from your local takeaway straight out the ballpark!

These bhajis are best served as a dish in their own right – with raita and a liberal sprinkling of mint.

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Onion and Butternut Bhajis
Makes Around 15 Bhajis

Ingredients:
2 Medium Onions (Sliced)
200g Butternut Squash (Peeled and Grated)
250ml Water
3tbsp Gram Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
100g Mild Curry Paste (e.g. Korma)
1tbsp Garam Masala
1tsp Turmeric
Sea Salt

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Method:

1) Mix together the flour, baking powder, turmeric and garam masala in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the curry paste and water – slowly add this to the dry ingredients, whisking to form a thick batter.

2) Add the onion and butternut to the batter and fold to combine.

3) Deep fry tablespoonfuls of the batter in either a deep fryer or wok at around 150C for around 5 minutes, turning often, until golden brown and cooked through.

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Best served with raita, chopped mint, chopped cucumber and rotis. Enjoy!