This past Wednesday, the Boston Globe ran an article called "Hake goes from trash fish to treasure". The article highlighted two meals made with hake. Hake is a salt water fish or stock fish that is similar to cod. Not having had fish in a few weeks, Jeff decided to take on these recipes knowing we would make the Hake Wrapped Proscuitto the first night and the remainder would make a great chowder.
Jeff went to the store and couldn't find Hake but decided to use scrod. The recipe recommends Hake or a white flaky fish. He started the recipe by thinly slicing the yukon potatoes and layering them with olive oil, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. He placed the potatoes in the oven and prepared the fish. Jeff wrapped each of the fish pieces in two slices of proscuitto. After 30 minutes, he placed the fish on the potatoes and allowed the rest of the dish to finish cooking.
We had enough people for dinner to save the remainder for the fish chowder, which is definitely a must! The fish was very good. It was flaky and flavorful and the potatoes complemented the fish perfectly. My only suggestion would be to brush olive oil on the proscuitto before cooking the fish. My proscuitto was a little dry, but still tasty. As much as the fish was delicious, the potatoes were amazing. Between the olive oil, fish juices and proscuitto, the potatoes were what everyone fought over.
Please continue to the next blog article Boston Globe's Fish Chowder with Proscuitto where we will highlight, what we consider, the best fish chowder we have ever eaten! If you would like to make the fish chowder, save three servings of fish and potatoes from this meal.
Ingredients:
4 large yukon golden or Yellow Finn potatoes
2 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless hake or other white fish (pollock, scrod), cut into 8 pieces
16 slices of proscuitto
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Preparation:
1. Set the oven at 450 degrees. Oil a 13- to 14-inch baking dish large enough to hold the fish in one layer.
2. Using a mandoline or another hand-held slicing tool, cut the potatoes into very thin slices. Arrange them in the baking dish, sprinkling the layers with oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast the potatoes for 35 minutes or until they are tender and browning at the edges.
4. Meanwhile, sprinkle each piece of fish lightly with oil. Wrap each one with 2 overlapping pieces of prosciutto, tucking them under the fish. Set the fish on the potatoes in one layer. Sprinkle the prosciutto with oil.
5. Roast the fish for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is firm to the touch and cooked through. Set aside 3 pieces of fish and 1/4 of the potatoes for the chowder.