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This pan roasted hake recipe brings together the best of autumn’s comforting flavours, from crisp-skinned fish and golden Savoy cabbage, potato cake to charred leeks and a silky white wine sauce. Perfect for a special lunch or dinner with friends, it’s an impressive dish that’s surprisingly easy to prepare ahead. 

The hake skin is roasted until crisp and the fish sits on a golden potato cake folded with Savoy cabbage. Charred leeks and a silky white wine cream sauce bring it all together. The potato cakes and sauce can be made the day before, so it's an easy one to serve to guests.

Serves: 4 · Prep: 40 minutes, plus at least 1 hour chilling · Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Savoy potato cakes

• 800g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into chunks
• ½ small Savoy cabbage, tough stalks removed, finely shredded
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil* and a knob of butter, for frying

For the herb oil (optional)

• 15g basil leaves
• 15g chives
• 50ml olive oil
• 50ml rapeseed oil*

For the hake and garnishes

• 4 skin-on hake fillets (about 180g each)
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil*
• 2 leeks, washed and cut into 3cm rounds
• 150g curly kale, thick stalks removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the white wine sauce

• A knob of butter
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 small leek, washed and finely sliced
• 200ml dry white wine
• 300ml double cream

*Substitute rapeseed oil for olive oil if you prefer

Method

1. Make the potato cakes. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes until completely tender. Drain well and leave to steam dry for a few minutes. Meanwhile, blanch the shredded cabbage in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Mash the potatoes, fold through the cabbage and season well. Press into four rounds about 9cm wide (a large cutter or ring mould helps). Chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to firm up.
2. Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Add the onion and leek and cook gently for 10 minutes until very soft but not coloured. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the cream and simmer again until reduced by half and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a sieve, season and set aside.
3. Make the herb oil (optional). Blitz the basil, chives and both oils in a blender until smooth. Warm gently in a small pan for 2 minutes, then leave to cool for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper.
4. Crisp the kale. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Toss the kale with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread it out on a baking tray and bake for 8–10 minutes until crisp, watching carefully so it doesn't burn.
5. Fry the potato cakes. Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the potato cakes for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden, then transfer to the oven for 10 minutes to heat through.
6. Char the leeks. Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Cook the leek rounds for 3–4 minutes on each side until tender and charred in lines.
7. Cook the hake. Score the skin of each fillet two or three times and season. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Lay the fish in skin side down and press gently for the first few seconds. Cook for 4–5 minutes, without moving, until the skin is golden and crisp. Transfer the pan to the oven for 4–5 minutes until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily.
8. Serve. Gently reheat the sauce. Set a potato cake in the centre of each warm plate and arrange the charred leeks alongside. Rest the hake on top, skin side up, and spoon the sauce around. Finish with crispy kale and a few drops of herb oil.

Make ahead: The potato cakes and sauce can both be made a day in advance and kept covered in the fridge.

Allergens: Fish, milk, sulphites.

*Substitutions: You could substitute the rapeseed oil for olive oil if you prefer. Note that rapeseed oil has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil, making it better for high-heat cooking like searing, frying, and roasting. Standard refined rapeseed oil is neutral in taste whereas olive oil offers a distinct fruity, peppery taste. Rapeseed oil contains about half the saturated fat of olive oil and is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, while olive oil provides unique polyphenols and antioxidants. It's about personal preference.