The taste of the Mediterranean in an elegant dish

Some dishes need very little to become a memorable experience.

Hake with seafood sauce is one of them: a delicate yet deeply Mediterranean recipe where the softness of the hake meets the rich flavour of a seafood stock prepared with prawns, vegetables, tomatoes and fish stock.

The secret lies in building the flavour gradually.

First, a rich seafood base is prepared with prawn heads and shells, onion, leek, carrot and tomato.

Then, the mixture is blended and carefully strained until it becomes smooth, silky and velvety.

Finally, the hake, prawns and clams are gently cooked in the sauce, allowing the seafood flavours to come together while keeping the fish tender and juicy.

The result is an elegant, aromatic and comforting dish, perfect for a special lunch or dinner when you wish to bring a little taste of the Mediterranean to the table.

Gourmet Hake with Seafood Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the hake and seafood

• 1 kg fresh hake, cut into thick steaks.
• 16 prawns or langoustines.
• 100 g fine clams.
• Sea salt.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Boiled potatoes, to serve.
• Fresh parsley, optional.

For the seafood stock

• 1 onion, roughly chopped.
• 1 leek, sliced.
• 1 carrot, peeled.
• 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered.
• 1 litre fish stock.
• The heads and shells of the prawns.

For the sauce

• 1 onion, very finely chopped.
• 3 tablespoons good-quality fried tomato sauce.
• 3 tablespoons plain flour.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Sea salt.

Preparation

01 · Prepare the seafood

Begin by preparing the prawns.

Remove the heads and shells, keeping them aside to prepare the seafood stock.

Peel the prawns and refrigerate the meat until needed.

Wash the clams thoroughly and place them in cold salted water for several minutes to help remove any remaining sand.

Drain well and set aside.

The Seafood Stock

02 · Build the flavour

Place the chopped onion, carrot, tomatoes and leek in a large saucepan.

Add all the prawn heads and shells.

Pour in the fish stock and bring the mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes.

During this time, the vegetables and prawn shells will slowly release their aromas and natural juices.

This stock will become the heart of the sauce.

03 · Create a silky seafood sauce

After 20 minutes, carefully blend the entire contents of the saucepan until smooth.

Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois, pressing gently to extract as much flavour as possible.

The result should be a smooth, refined and aromatic seafood sauce, free of shell fragments and vegetable fibres.

Keep warm and set aside.

The Sofrito

04 · Slowly cook the onion

Heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a wide, shallow casserole.

Add the finely chopped onion.

Cook over medium-low heat for approximately 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and translucent.

This step should not be rushed.

A slowly cooked onion provides natural sweetness and depth to the sauce.

05 · Add the flour

Once the onion is ready, add the 3 tablespoons of flour.

Stir immediately and cook for a few seconds.

The flour should blend with the oil and onion but must not take on colour.

Its purpose is to help bind the sauce and create a delicate, creamy consistency.

06 · Add the tomato

Add the 3 tablespoons of good-quality fried tomato sauce.

Stir gently until all the ingredients are combined.

Cook for a few minutes over low heat, allowing the tomato to blend with the onion and flour.

The mixture will begin to develop an intense Mediterranean aroma.

The Gourmet Seafood Sauce

07 · Add the seafood stock

Begin adding the warm seafood stock gradually.

Pour in a few ladlefuls at a time while continuously whisking with a hand whisk.

This will allow the flour to dissolve evenly and prevent lumps from forming.

Continue adding the stock until you obtain a sauce that is smooth, glossy and velvety.

Taste and adjust the salt.

Simmer gently for approximately 8 minutes.

The sauce will gradually become more concentrated and develop greater depth of flavour.

The Hake and Seafood

08 · Add the hake

Once the sauce is ready, carefully place the hake steaks into the casserole.

Arrange them so that they are partially covered by the sauce.

Cook gently, avoiding excessive handling so that the fish remains intact.

The hake should be tender, juicy and perfectly cooked.

09 · Add the prawns and clams

Add the peeled prawns and the previously cleaned clams.

Partially cover the casserole and cook for approximately 8–10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the hake steaks.

As the clams open, their natural juices will blend into the sauce, adding another layer of flavour.

The prawns should remain tender and juicy, so avoid overcooking them.

Discard any clams that remain closed after cooking.

The Final Touch

10 · A sauce full of flavour

During the final minutes, gently move the casserole from side to side to help the sauce coat the hake.

There is no need to stir with a spoon.

The aim is to keep the hake steaks whole while allowing all the flavours to combine naturally.

The sauce should be thick enough to coat the fish while remaining smooth and fluid.

Presentation

11 · Serve like a restaurant

Place one hake steak on each plate and generously spoon over the seafood sauce.

Arrange the prawns and clams around the hake, creating a balanced and elegant presentation.

Serve with boiled potatoes cut into neat medallions.

Finish, if desired, with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and finely chopped fresh parsley.

Do not be afraid to serve plenty of sauce.

Together with the hake, it is the true star of the dish.

The Secret to a Perfect Seafood Sauce

The secret is patience.

Prawn heads and shells contain an extraordinary amount of flavour.

Cooking them slowly with vegetables and fish stock creates an intense and aromatic base.

Blending and carefully straining the mixture then transforms those ingredients into a refined, silky sauce.

The final result should be:

silky, glossy, intense and deeply flavoured by the sea.

The hake, meanwhile, requires gentle cooking to preserve its delicate texture.

Gourmet Suggestions

Magic Dreams Barcelona

To elevate this recipe and turn it into a truly refined dish:

• Use fresh, high-quality hake.
• Never discard the prawn heads and shells; they are essential to the stock.
• Prepare a homemade fish stock whenever possible.
• Cook the onion slowly to develop its natural sweetness.
• Do not brown the flour; the sauce should remain elegant and smooth.
• Strain the seafood stock through a fine sieve for a perfectly refined texture.
• Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Avoid overcooking the prawns.
• Add the clams towards the end of cooking to preserve their flavour and texture.
• Serve immediately once the dish is finished.

For an even more sophisticated presentation, finish with a few drops of parsley oil or finely sliced fresh chives.

The Perfect Accompaniment

Boiled potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

Their delicate flavour allows the seafood sauce to remain the centre of attention.

Their texture also absorbs the sauce beautifully, creating the perfect combination of hake, seafood and Mediterranean flavours in every bite.

Cut the potatoes into evenly sized medallions and arrange them elegantly beside the hake.

Wine Pairing

A Taste of the Mediterranean

This dish pairs beautifully with a fresh, aromatic and well-balanced Catalan white wine.

A white wine from DO Empordà is an especially elegant choice, bringing a natural connection to the Mediterranean character of the dish.

Its freshness complements the delicate hake, while its structure works beautifully with the richness of the seafood sauce.

For a lighter option, a very cold sparkling water with a slice of lemon can also provide a refreshing accompaniment.

A Recipe for a Special Table

This hake is perfect for those occasions when you wish to prepare something special while preserving the essence of simple, honest cooking.

It is ideal for:

Christmas, family celebrations, anniversaries, romantic dinners, special lunches and occasions when you wish to impress your guests.

It is also a wonderful choice for a leisurely Sunday lunch, when there is time to enjoy every bite and every conversation around the table.

Preparing Ahead

The seafood stock can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to make the sauce.

This makes the recipe easier to organise when entertaining guests.

The sauce can also be prepared ahead of time and gently reheated before adding the hake and seafood.

However, we recommend cooking the hake, prawns and clams just before serving for the best possible texture.

Storage

If there are leftovers, allow them to cool and refrigerate them promptly in an airtight container.

Because the dish contains fresh fish, prawns and clams, it should remain refrigerated and be consumed as soon as possible.

For the best quality, we recommend preparing only the quantity needed for the meal.

Hake and the Mediterranean

There is something special about a good seafood sauce.

It has the ability to transform simple ingredients into a dish full of depth and character.

The delicate hake meets the sweetness of the prawns, the intensity of the clams and the richness of a carefully prepared seafood stock.

Everything comes together in a silky sauce that captures the essence of the sea.

The result is an elegant, Mediterranean and comforting recipe.

Delicate hake, an intense seafood sauce, and all the flavour of the Mediterranean in one unforgettable dish.

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