Hake with patatas bravas and padrón peppers

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. For the hake, sprinkle the skin of each hake fillet with salt. Wrap each fillet in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, for the roasted red peppers, use the flames of a gas stove, or a chef’s blowtorch, to scorch the skin of each red pepper until thoroughly blackened.

4. Transfer the red peppers to a baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Once roasted, peel the red peppers, cut in half lengthways and remove the seeds and stalks. Set aside in a bowl, reserving any juices. Turn off the oven.

6. For the brava sauce, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until softened.

7. Add the chopped plum tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 2-3 minutes to cool slightly.

8. Transfer the tomato mixture to the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth, then sieve and reserve the strained tomato sauce. Season with the vinegar, Tabasco, sugar, salt and smoked paprika, to taste, then spoon the mixture into a piping bag and, once cooled, chill in the fridge until needed.

9. For the aïoli, blend all of the aioli ingredients except the oils in a food processor until well combined. With the motor still running, pour in the oils, one after the other, in a thin stream, until the mixture emulsifies to a smooth, thick consistency. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and, once cooled, chill in the fridge until needed.

10. For the chorizo, saffron and orange sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Ad the diced chorizos and fry until crisp and golden-brown.

11. Meanwhile, soak the saffron strands in one tablespoon of boiling water so that they release their colour. Add the saffron and water to the chorizo, then add the orange zest and double cream and stir well. Bring the mixture to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside for 5-10 minutes to infuse.

12. Blend the sauce mixture until smooth using a hand-held blender, then sieve the blended sauce and set aside. Add chicken stock to loosen the mixture a little, if necessary.

13. For the squid-ink sauce, wearing disposable plastic gloves and an apron, pierce the squid-ink sacs over a bowl to release the ink. Add a little hot water to the ink. Set aside.

14. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and fry until softened but not coloured.

15. Pour in the white wine and squid ink and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then simmer until the mixture has reduced in quantity by two-thirds.

16. Add any juices from the roasted red pepper, plus the chicken stock. Return the mixture to the boil, then return to a simmer and simmer until the mixture has reduced to a thick sauce – about 15-20 minutes.

17. Meanwhile, for the padrón peppers, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the peppers and fry until the skin blisters. Sprinkle over the salt and set aside until needed. Keep warm.

18. For the patatas bravas, using a 3cm/1¼in cookie cutter, stamp out 12 tubes of potato (2 from each potato). Trim the ends to flatten, making sure that all of the potato tubes are 3-4cm/1¼-1½in long.

19. Using a vegetable baller, scoop out the middle of each potato tube until the hollowed-out space reaches three-quarters of the way down the tube.

20. Just before serving, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) If using a deep-fat fryer, turn it up to 185C.

21. Deep-fry the potato tubes until tender and golden-brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt, to taste.

22. Reheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

23. Meanwhile, cook the hake. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs onto a plate and set aside. Melt the butter in a large, ovenproof frying pan and brush it onto the flesh-side of the hake fillets. Press the buttered side of each hake fillet into the breadcrumbs to coat. Add all of the breaded hake fillets, breaded-side down, to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown.

24. Transfer the hake to the oven and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper, if necessary.

25. Meanwhile, gently reheat the chorizo, saffron and orange sauce in a small pan over a low heat until warmed through.

26. To serve, place half a roasted red pepper on each of 4 serving plates, just off-centre, and paint a ring of the squid-ink sauce around it using a pastry brush.

27. On each plate, arrange three potatoes to one side of the ring. First pipe a little of the brava sauce into each potato hollow, then a little of the aïoli.

28. Spoon a puddle of the chorizo, saffron and orange sauce on the opposite side of the ring. Carefully place the hake fillet halfway over the chorizo sauce and the squid-ink ring. Finally, add two padrón peppers to each plate, on the opposite side of the ring to the hake.

Overnight preparation time

1 to 2 hours cooking time

Serves 4