EASY FISH CAKE
For those who grumble when they see fish, for those who eat it out of obligation and for those of us who love it in every way possible, I bring you a simple and effective option, an easy fish cake, full of flavor, with a soft and spongy texture. And the thing is, as I was saying, eating fish is sometimes difficult, I must say that I love it and since I have always lived in coastal towns, it has been part of my diet and that of my family for as long as I can remember. In the Mediterranean area, we usually consume fresh, small fish. It is a deep-rooted custom to buy it at the market, but also in the various local markets in the late afternoon when the boats arrive in port. Fresh local fish needs few embellishments, grilled, steamed, fried, baked, there are a thousand ways to prepare it without having to overwork it so that the fish itself is the protagonist.
This easy fish pie is a good alternative for those who get tired of it easily.
The recipe I bring you today is the opposite, it is a fish-based preparation that everyone usually likes a lot, that’s why I started by saying that it is for those who grumble when it comes to eating fish.
It is a fish pie, I have prepared it with hake, but you can make it with any other white fish, monkfish, for example.
To make this dish it is not necessary to buy fresh fish, you can use frozen fish that is of good quality, this way it may be easier for you to have it ready when you feel like making it.
If, like me, you live in a coastal area and have easy access to fresh fish at a good price, perfect, but as I told you, it is not that important, you will have to crumble it and mix it with the rest of the ingredients, so the important thing is its flavor and not so much its texture.
This recipe can be made with frozen fish, but make sure it is of good quality.
If you use frozen fish, keep in mind to defrost it properly in the upper part of the refrigerator, try not to leave it on the kitchen bench, to avoid the growth of microorganisms.
It is also important that the defrosting is gradual to avoid changes in the texture and flavor of the fish.
Make sure you buy quality frozen fish, if at the time of capture or after fishing it was frozen correctly and is kept in the cold chain, when you go to defrost it, if you do properly, the texture and flavor will be maintained.
So it is worth spending a little more and buying a good product in which the entire process from capture/fishing, freezing and preservation to sale has been respected.
If I had to define fish cake with a single adjective, I would say it is soft. It melts in your mouth, when you eat it you don’t even notice, it’s light and feels great.
For the fish pie to turn out well, there is something fundamental, the type of cooking. The fish pie is always cooked in a bain-marie, it is an indirect cooking method by convection.
The heat emitted by the convection oven reaches the food indirectly. The container and the water in the bain-marie are heated and the food, in this case the pie, is indirectly cooked.
The fish pie is so soft because it is cooked in a bain-marie, this technique prevents it from drying out.
The advantage of this method is that the pie is juicy, does not dry out and no air bubbles form inside.
To prevent the surface of the pie from browning, it is advisable to cover it with aluminum foil that does not touch the dough. It’s just to prevent it from browning and to keep the color light.
This fish cake can be served in many ways, I presented it with a cream of zucchini and spinach, avocado and tomato, but the classic is to serve it with mayonnaise.
If you prefer a homemade and healthier dressing, don’t miss the link at the end of this post with 5 delicious ideas.
It can be accompanied by cooked shrimp or prawns, it can be eaten with salad or with some sautéed asparagus.
To prepare it, very few ingredients are needed, the fish, spring onion, leek, eggs, tomato sauce and cream (optional). In addition to salt and pepperto taste.
Fish and eggs are the two main ingredients in this recipe. It does not contain flour or starch.
You can already imagine the preparation, it is very simple, you have to cook the fish, remove the skin and bones and crumble it.
Fry the spring onion and leek cut into brunoise and mix everything in the blender glass, adding the eggs, tomato sauce and cream, salt, pepper and beat.
Once the dough is made, put it in an oven-safe container and cook in a bain-marie, it takes between 30 and 35 minutes at 180ºC and it turns out very well. If you let it cool, it will be easier to unmold.
I like to have it cold, it’s an ideal recipe for good weather, but you could also have it freshly made, once warm.
Why I like this so much recipe:
- You can make it in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you want to serve it.
- It’s a different way to eat fish.
- Children and teenagers usually like it, try it and you’ll see.
- It’s a perfect recipe for hot weather.
If you liked this recipe, you might also be interested in:
5 ideas for preparing healthy dressings:
https://www.missblasco.com/5-aderezos-saludables/
Below is the recipe and instructions for preparing it, you’ll love it! 😉
PASTEL DE PESCADO FÁCIL
Equipment
- Horno
Ingredients
- 250 g merluza cocida al vapor sin piel ni espinas (4 rodajas medianas de merluza congelada)
- 75 g puerro (1 unidad)
- 100 g cebolleta (1 unidad)
- 3 huevos medianos
- 1/4 taza nata para cocinar
- 2 cdas salsa de tomate, si es casera mejor
- 1 pizca sal marina
- 1 pizca pimienta blanca molida
Instructions
- Debes cocer la merluza, hay varias opciones, la puedes hervir o la puedes cocinar al vapor. Yo la cociné en el microondas en un recipiente de pyrex, con un poco de agua en la base, tapada con un film, que no toque el alimento, para que se cree vapor. 3 minutos a 800 W de potencia es suficiente para 4 rodajas medianas.
- Cuando la merluza esté cocida, elimina la piel y las espinas, y desmenuza el pescado.
- En una sartén, sofríe la cebolleta y el puerro cortados en brunoise, (trocitos pequeños).
- Introduce el pescado, la cebolleta y el puerro pochados, los huevos, la nata y la salsa de tomate en el vaso de la batidora. Sazona y bate.
- Precalienta el horno a 200ºC al menos durante 10 min.
- Pon la masa en un molde rectangular para horno, lo ideal es uno de esos moldes para pudin o plum cake.
- Prepara una fuente de horno grande con agua y pon el molde con la masa del pastel de pescado dentro.
- Introduce en el horno y cocina durante 30-35 minutos a 180ºC.
- Cuando haya pasado ese tiempo pincha el pastel para ver si está cocinado, si el palillo sale limpio, ya está listo.
- Sácalo y deja que se enfríe a temperatura ambiente. Después puedes guardarlo en el frigorífico hasta el momento de consumirlo.
- Sírve el pastel con mahonesa, salsa rosa o una crema de verduras ligera como hice yo. El aguacate le va genial y unas gambas o langostinos cocidos también. ¡Disfrútalo!
Notes
- Es fundamental que cocines el pastel de pescado al baño María, si metes el molde directamente en el horno te quedará seco.
- Puedes servirlo con aguacate, con ensalada, con tomate, con langostinos cocidos, con lo que más te guste. Yo lo serví con una crema de calabacín y espinacas para que quedara más ligero, pero lo clásico es tomarlo con mahonesa o salsa rosa.
6 INGREDIENTS, COMFORT FOOD, FÁCIL, LOW CALORIES, LOW CARB, PESCADO