So what is Silver Hake? It’s a close cousin to Cod and is often referred to as ‘whiting’. Hake is highly sought after in European countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. However, here in Canada this fish goes under the radar for the most part. Silver Hake is probably one of the most affordable wild-caught white fish. Sweet tasting with a lean firm texture, it can hold its own as a center of the plate item.  Silver Hake agrees with a wide variety of palates. It can be pan seared, oven roasted, broiled, battered/dusted for deep frying.

The above picture is a pan seared, cornmeal crusted Silver Hake topped with a black olive, cucumber & tomato salsa. Preparation is simple, just a bit of seasoning and then the fish is rolled in corn meal and pan seared until golden.

After pan searing on both sides, transfer to an oven pan lined with parchment and finish in the oven. Top with a high quality salsa and serve on a bed of greens and you're solid my friends. Remember that it is a lean fish, so be mindful not to overcook.

The above picture is Silver Hake braised in an East Indian curry sauce, accompanied with sautéed kale and red lentils. I used coconut milk as the main braising liquid and I kept the curry light, so it complimented the fish and didn’t overpower it. Silver Hake in a coconut curry sauce would also work amazingly well as a buffet item.

Here we have a coconut and lime zest crusted Silver Hake. Brush the fish with a touch of honey, season and then dip the presentation side in the shredded coconut and lime zest. Use unsweetened shredded coconut, as the sweetened tends to burn before the fish is fully cooked. Pair with some grilled summer squash/Caribbean pumpkin and you are good to go.

All three of these ideas are 100% gluten free. Until next time….Stay Hungry My Friends!