This Fresh Hake recipe is one of those dishes that proves you do not need much to cook well. A good piece of white fish, ripe tomatoes, sweet onions, garlic, a splash of white wine, and a little patience — that is all it takes. I always buy about a half-pound per person, which gives everyone a generous portion, and I get the rice going while the sauce is simmering so everything is ready at the same time. It is the kind of meal my family comes back to again and again, and one I love to serve with a green salad and a great glass of white.
What Is This Fresh Hake Recipe?
This Fresh Hake recipe is the Portuguese dish known as Bacalhau Fresco Escalfado com Molho de Tomate, Cebola e Alho — fresh hake poached in a tomato, onion, and garlic sauce. Despite the long name, the concept is simple: build a rich, slow-cooked tomato sauce with sweet onions, garlic, and white wine, then gently poach the fish directly in the sauce so it absorbs all of that flavor as it cooks. Hake is the traditional choice here, but any white fish works — fresh cod being the most common substitute. The steam from the covered pan does most of the work, and the result is tender, flavorful fish in a sauce you will want to eat with bread.
How to Make This Fresh Hake Recipe
Start with the onions. They need a full 15 minutes over medium heat until they turn a deep golden color — this is not a step to rush, because that caramelization is the foundation of the sauce. Add the garlic, then the tomatoes with their juices, the white wine, and the hot pepper sauce, and let everything simmer together for about 30 minutes until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes break down completely. When the sauce is ready, lay the fish portions on top, season them with salt, pepper, and paprika, scatter the parsley over everything, cover the pan, and let the steam poach the fish for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep your eye on it — thinner fish cooks faster than you expect.
Tips for the Best Fresh Hake Recipe
- Take the time with the onions. Golden, deeply caramelized onions are the difference between a good sauce and a great one.
- Fresh tomatoes are worth it here, but two large cans are a perfectly acceptable substitute when good tomatoes are not in season.
- Don’t overcook the fish. Check it at 5 minutes. It should flake easily and be just opaque through the center.
- Cover the pan while the fish poaches. The steam is what cooks it — lifting the lid repeatedly slows things down and lets heat escape.
- Season the fish directly before covering, not before. Salt draws moisture out if it sits too long.
- White wine adds depth to the sauce, but if you are cooking without alcohol, substitute with a splash of fish stock or water with a squeeze of lemon.
- Serve immediately. Poached fish does not hold well — this is a dish that goes straight from pan to table.
Serving and Storing
This Fresh Hake recipe is best served hot, straight from the pan, over white rice with the sauce spooned generously on top. A green salad and crusty bread round it out. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to two days — reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water to keep the fish from drying out. The sauce actually improves overnight, so the leftovers are worth saving.
A wide, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid is the right tool for this recipe — you need the room for the sauce and the fish to sit together comfortably. Here’s a Lodge skillet with optional lid.
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PrintFresh Hake poached in onion, garlic tomato sauce
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Fish
Ingredients
2 lbs of fresh cod or hake, cut in to portions
2 lbs of ripe tomatoes, peeld and seed and chopped (substitute 2 large cans)
2 large sweet onions, sliced and cut in half
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons of olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of pan
1–2 tablespoons of chopped hot pepper sauce
2 cups of white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they turn a nice golden color, about 15 minutes.
2. Next, add the garlic and mix well with the onions., then add the chopped tomatoes with their juices, wine, salt and pepper, and the hot pepper sauce. Stir everything together thoroughly, then lower the heat and simmer everything together for about 30 minutes. You’ll notice that the tomatoes will break down and the sauce will begin to thicken.
3. At this point, you can start to add the portions of fish and lay them on top of the tomato sauce. Season the fish with salt, pepper, and paprika and sprinkle the parsley on top. Use the lid to cover the pan for about 5- 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked to your liking. The steam will poach the fish faster than you think, especially if the fish is a thinner fish. Keep your eye on it!
Notes
This dish is called Bacalhau Fresco Escalfado com molho de tamoate, cebola e alho
