Hake, chickpeas & dill crème fraîche

A simple one-pan bake of hake and chickpeas, inspired by simple Mediterranean home cooking.

1 Hake fillet (approx. 800g, skin off and salted for 20 minutes)
75ml Olive oil
350g Red peppers (large dice)
150g Onion (large dice)
20g Garlic (sliced)
1 tsp Sweet smoked paprika (heaped)
2 Bay leaves
4 sprig Thyme
500ml Chicken stock
250g Tomato (fresh, chopped)
400g Tinned tomato (chopped)
200g Waxy potato (peeled, rough chop)
400g Chickpeas (drained)
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10g Dill
140g Crème fraîche
25g Capers
1/2 Lemon (zest)
Salt + pepper
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Picked basil
Lemon wedge
Olive oil and black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil, cook the onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add the peppers. Season and cook for 5 minutes. Add the paprika and herbs and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes and cook for a few minutes before adding the chicken stock. Bring to the boil. If you want to add 200g of chopped chorizo to this recipe, it would also be delicious.

3. Add the potatoes and chickpeas and cook on low for 30–40 minutes, until everything is soft and comes together. Check the seasoning.

4. Add the salted fish on top of the stew, add the lid and cook on low for about 10 minutes, or until the fish has reached 50°C internally.

5. Plate up in a bowl, chickpeas on the base, soft fish on top, with the crème fraîche and other garnish over the plate.