Hake cooked in paper with garlic butter recipe

Hake cooked in paper with garlic butter

This recipe is nearly always featured on the menu at The Seahorse, it is a really popular choice.  There is something wonderful about the fish arriving at the table in its bag and the flavours and aromas of heady rosemary and garlic being released as the little package is opened at the table, it’s all part of the pleasure.  Make sure you use really fresh ingredients to produce a cracking result. This is one to get children stuck into, they can make their own bag and you can add what flavours you like, you just need liquid of some sort and your favourite flavours.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 fillets of hake (or your preferred fish) 

A few sprigs of rosemary 

1 small dried chilli 

5 whole cloves of garlic, skin left on and roasted in the oven for 15 mins until soft 

Sea salt 

50ml olive oil 

½ glass of dry white wine 

2 tablespoons Rockfish garlic butter

Method

To pre roast your garlic cloves, leave their skins on place them in a small roasting pan. Drizzle over a little olive oil and roast in the oven at 160℃ for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.

Increase your oven temperature to 220℃ Fan, 240℃. Lay a piece of parchment paper about 30cm x 30cm on a flat work surface. Fold in half then open up, lay the fish about 2.5cm below the fold then sprinkle over the chilli (if you’re using), place a tablespoon of garlic butter on top then place the rosemary it. Drizzle with olive oil then season with salt flakes. Fold the top of the paper towards you then turn the paper 90 degrees, from the bottom start to fold the paper in small turns sealing with the firm pressure of your nail, you are making a Cornish pastie shape as you fold round, when you get to the end leave an opening then pour in the wine (or other liquid) and twist the final end to seal. 

If you are finding this difficult then simply use a layer of foil with the parchment on top, this will make it easier to fold and seal. 

Repeat for the other fillets of fish. 

Once they are all sealed, place on a roasting tray and cook for 10 minutes. 

The bags will puff up, place them on a plate and cut inside the fold to open the bag up, trim the paper to the size of the plate and enjoy.