Kokotxas de Merluza
Tender hake cheeks braised in a silky garlic and parsley sauce that thickens with the fish's natural gelatin. A luxurious Spanish classic that feels restaurant-worthy but takes just 20 minutes.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 10 oz hake cheeks (kokotxas)
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- ¼ cup packed fresh parsley
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup fish stock or water
Instructions
- 1
Place each hake cheek on a clean cutting board and pat dry with paper towels, rubbing gently on all sides to remove excess moisture so they brown properly.
- 2
Hold each garlic clove with the flat side of a chef's knife and press down hard with the heel of your hand until the clove flattens and the papery skin falls off easily.
- 3
Finely chop the parsley by stacking the leaves and slicing them crosswise into paper-thin ribbons, about the width of thread, until you have 0.25 cup.
- 4
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then wait until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 5
Carefully lay the hake cheeks in the hot oil and leave them untouched for 2 minutes until the bottom surface turns golden and pulls away cleanly from the pan.
- 6
Flip each cheek over and cook the second side for 1.5 minutes until it also looks golden, then carefully slide the cheeks onto a clean plate.
- 7
Add the 3 flattened garlic cloves to the same skillet and stir constantly for 30 seconds until they smell fragrant and begin to turn light golden at the edges.
- 8
Pour in 0.5 cup of white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the stuck-on brown bits from the bottom of the pan, stirring for 15 seconds until the bits dissolve.
- 9
Pour in 0.5 cup of fish stock, then gently slide the cooked hake cheeks back into the skillet, nestling them among the garlic.
- 10
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the cheeks simmer gently without boiling for 4 minutes until the liquid reduces by about half and becomes glossy and thick.
- 11
Remove the skillet from the heat, scatter the chopped parsley over the top, and gently stir for 5 seconds just to incorporate it without breaking up the delicate cheeks.
- 12
Divide the hake cheeks between two shallow bowls, spooning the sauce and garlic cloves equally over each portion.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- paper towels
- chef's knife
- medium skillet (10-inch)
- wooden spoon
- tongs or slotted spoon
- plate
- two shallow bowls
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