Hake in Green Sauce (Merluza en salsa verde)

black pan filled with spanish seafood dish on counter.

Hake in Green Sauce (Merluza en salsa verde)

Spanish Hake in Green Sauce is a delicious fish dish that you need to try. Made with fresh Hake fillets, this dish includes the famous thickened sauce that consists of onion, garlic, parsley, and white wine!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Basque, Spanish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Author Alba Luna Meyer

Ingredients

1 cup baby clams, optional
1 medium yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
1 large bunch fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fish stock
1 cup white wine
2 large hake fillets, 1 per person
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

If using baby clams, clean them the night before. Dissolve a couple of teaspoons of salt in a bowl of cold water, add the clams, cover, and store them in the fridge.
Peel and finely dice the onion. Also, peel and mince the garlic cloves and rinse and finely chop the fresh parsley.
In the pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Stir regularly.
Add the flour to the pan and mix well. Cook it for a couple of minutes until it turns slightly golden brown.
Pour in the fish stock and white wine. Mix everything thoroughly.
Add the chopped parsley to the pan. Then taste and season with salt as needed.
If using, add the cleaned and drained baby clams to the pan. Also add the hake fillets. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes over low heat, or until the fish is cooked and the clams have opened.
Serve and enjoy while hot!

Notes

This recipe can be made with other fish, seafood, or vegetables. Cod and seabass fillets are good alternatives.
If using baby clams, clean them before using, otherwise, you’ll have a sandy dish.
Choose a dry or semi-dry white wine with a fruity note. Use alcohol-free white wine as an alternative.
Grate the onion if you prefer a smoother texture.
Cook the flour for a minute or two until slightly browned before adding the wine and stock. Otherwise, the flavor of raw flour will be present and may ruin the sauce.
Go easy on the salt if the fish stock is quite salty already. Adding the clams will also add a bit of saltiness.
The sauce is called green sauce, even though it is more of a golden sauce with hints of green. If you want a more evenly green sauce, you can blend it before adding the fish to the pan (not traditional).

Nutrition

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.