Hake with lemon couscous, a delicious fish main. Pairing this great sustainable fish with the fresh flavours of the Mediterranean.
Hake with a lemon couscous is a dish that I love to prepare as it takes no time at all to get on the table. Alongside eggs, fish is my favourite fast food. Full of protein, healthy and it takes minutes to cook. I’m lucky in that my family all love fish and therefore it’s a regular feature on our dinner table. My youngest has been known to ask why people mess around covering fish with batter and “stuff”. She likes her fish “just pan fried please!” I have to say that when you get fish as fresh as the beautiful hake we cooked with here, I agree entirely.
Why choose Hake?
Hake is a great sustainable fish and therefore a fish we should be eating more of. A member of the cod family, Hake is a delicious fish to cook. That said it is still not as popular here as Cod or Haddock. The Spanish love hake and I suspect much of our catch in the UK may land on the continent. This is a pity as it really is a great fish to eat and cook with. Thick flakes of beautiful white fish, pan fried and finished with just a little butter. Perfection!
The inspiration for this dish comes from a trip I took in Noosa, Australia. After a boat trip up the river we stopped and had lunch on a platform that sat right out over the water. We were served the most simple plate of pan fried fish with a lemon couscous. It’s one of the most memorable lunches I’ve eaten and one that I’ve recreated many times since. I like to pack the couscous full of vegetables, lightening it wish a good squeeze of fresh lemon.
Our thanks to Stephen at Peterhead Fish Company for supplying the beautiful fillets of hake used in this dish. For details of Stephen’s fish round and the fish he has available please head to his website for further details.
Pin the recipe for later:
Additional recipe suggestions:
If you like this recipe then try our Easy Fish Pie, our Hake with Warm Red Quinoa Salad, our Chinese Steamed Seabass or our Simple Devilled Mackerel.
Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners. Full of useful hints, tips and recipes.
Hake with lemon couscous
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion (finely chopped)
- 1 courgette (diced)
- 1 red pepper (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 100 g couscous
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- 1 zest and juice of lemon (finely grated)
- 20 g butter
- 1 handful fresh parsley (chopped)
- 400 g hake fillet (skin on and cut into 200g portions)
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- salt & pepper
- 10 g butter
Instructions
- Pour the olive oil to a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes taking care to soften but not colour the onion.
- Add the courgette, pepper and garlic to the saucepan and continue to cook for a further minute. Then add the couscous, lemon zest and juice and stir well to combine.
- Pour the vegetable stock over the couscous and take the pan off the heat. Cover with a lid and leave the couscous to steam for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile place a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the sunflower oil. Season both sides of the fish and place skin side down in the pan. Cook the fish for 3 minutes on this side then turn. Add a knob of butter, cook for a further 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
- The couscous should now have absorbed all the stock, Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley and fork through the butter.
- Spoon the couscous onto warm plates and place a fillet of hake on each. Serve immediately.
Notes
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Nicola
Sorry, but the couscous was dull. One minute wasn’t enough to cook the pepper and courgette and there wasn’t enough lemon. I won’t be making this again.
Lesley
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the couscous. The reason the pepper and courgette is cooked for such a short length of time is so that it remains crunchy. The couscous is soft, as is the fish so we like to keep the vegetables very much on the al-dente side However, as with all recipes, if you want to cook the vegetables a little longer then please do so. Likewise, if you wish to add more lemon to the the dish then again please do so. It’s always better to add a smaller quantity and add more if you think you need it as you can always add, but never takeaway. This is particularly important when flavouring with lemon as you don’t want it coming through too soapy on the dish.
Dianne Carter
Such an easy dish to make, but absolutely delicious. Loved The Mediterranean flavours and perfect at the moment for a fresh, summer dish. A bonus in fact that, except for cooking the fish, it’s all made in one dish. I added two chopped mushrooms because we love our vegetables. Go for it, you won’t be disappointed.
Lesley
Thank you Dianne, this is my favourite summer fish dish and like you say – all the easier as the couscous is cooked in one pan! Like your idea of adding chopped mushrooms, they would work really well in the dish. Lesley x
Susan
Aw this looks lush ! hHave been trying to mix up my lunches to be more interesting so think I’m going to try this out this week !
Lesley
Thank you Susan it’s such a lovely dish and cooked in minutes! Lesley x
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
What a beautiful summery dish. I love simple fish dishes so this is right up my street 😀 Eb x
Michelle
Thanks Eb, simple fish is one of the best fast foods isn’t it!? Cheers. Michelle.
Hannah
This looks delicious! I’ve never tried hake, but I’m a big fan of white, flaky fish so I’ll definitely be giving it a go! It sounds just perfect with the lemon couscous too!
Michelle
Thanks Hannah, so pleased its something you like the look of. Its a lovely fish and if you like white flaky fish you’ll love this one. The lemon & Veg couscous works well on its own or with a piece of grilled chicken as well.
Hope you enjoy
Michelle x
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder
I’ll go with “just pan fried please” fish any day of the week too. Perfect summery and light fish supper! Couscous and fish go so well together, love it, love it, love it!
Michelle
I totally agree Jo, a beautiful fresh piece of fish doesn’t need anything else to it. Thanks, Michelle x
Donna
I love fish. And Couscous. And Lemon. And food that’s easy to prepare. So this all sounds very good! Looks yummy too!
Michelle
Thanks Donna, it really is a simple dish, thats what I love about fish! I’ll be making this again when my inlaws visit as they prefer fish to meat so this is a great dish for then. Cheers, Michelle x
Cat | Curly's Cooking
This looks like the perfect meal for summer. So light and fresh with delicious flavours. Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare.
Michelle
Thanks Cat, it is that prefect light lunch or dinner, not to mention quick as well, perfect if having friends for a weekend lunch. Cheers, Michelle