Hake stuffed with prawns and lemon balm

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Hake weighing around 1 kg; cleaned, olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 Generous stems of lemon balm; complete with
; plenty of leaves
4 Shallots; chopped
1 tablespoon Olive oil
45 grams Butter
150 grams Shelled raw prawns; each one cut into 2
; or 3 pieces, if
; large
A generous handful of lemon balm leaves
Salt and pepper
2 Shallots; finely chopped
4 tablespoons Olive oil
30 grams Butter
A generous handful of lemon balm leaves
3 Hard boiled egg yolks
3 tablespoons Chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Capers or caper berries; rinsed and soaked
; if salted, chopped
1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions

FOR THE STUFFING

FOR THE SAUCE

Preheat oven to 220c/425f/Gas 7.

1 Rub a few spoonfuls of olive oil over the hake and season. Make a bed of the lemon balm stems in a roasting tin or large ovenproof dish.

2 For the Stuffing: Saute the shallots in oil and butter until tender and translucent. Add the prawns and saute for two minutes until barely cooked through.

3 Stir in the whole lemon balm leaves, cook for a few seconds until wilted and draw the pan off the heat. Fill the cavity of the fish with the prawns, lemon balm and about half the shallots.

4 Carefully add the fish to the bed of stems, (seal the cavity with cocktail sticks to stop the stuffing falling out). Spoon over the remaining shallot and buttery sauce from the pan. Roast for 20 minutes until cooked through.

5 For the Sauce: Fry the shallots in 1 tbsp olive oil and all the butter until tender and translucent. Stir in the lemon balm until just wilted.

Draw off the heat and tip into a bowl.

6 Pound the yolks and parsley with a pestle and mortar (or in a sturdy bowl with a rolling pin) until well mixed. Add to the shallots and lemon balm.

7 Stir in the mustard, capers, vinegar and remaining oil for a creamy sauce. Season, adjust the balance of the flavourings, adding vinegar if needed and serve with the hake. For a smooth sauce, don't pound. Process the lemon balm, shallots and other ingredients.

Converted by MC_Buster.

Recipe by: Sophie Grigson's Herbs Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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