When the sun is out its time to light up your grill and celebrate the good weather with barbecue. Too often first thoughts are the same old bangers and burgers. This BBQ hake recipe is very tasty and far more interesting than the usual suspects.

About Hake

Hake are deep-sea members of the cod family, they are white fish with solid flesh and a central bone. Hake is a much-loved staple in Europe’s though it is often overlooked here in the UK. You will usually see it on our counter cut into large steaks.

Hake is very popular in  Spain where it is rather splendidly given the title ‘the king of the fish’. Hake’s flaky white flesh features a mild natural flavor that supports a range of seasonings and accompaniments. This versatile fish works well in many sauteed and oven-baked dishes, but  also works really well on the BBQ or grill.

Cooking Tips For BBQ Hake

Hake works well with extra flavours so plan to marinade for about one hour before cooking. Rub on a drizzle of olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon juice, followed by a couple of garlic cloves finely chopped. Season well with some chunky salt and freshly ground pepper. place in a dish with some fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs. You can also chop and add in the rind from the squeezed lemon.

If you are using charcoal make sure you light it in good time so that it is up to temperature when you want to cook. (You can see it is ready when the coal is white all over)

Once it’s hot, do scrape your grill to make sure it is clean. A clean grill will preventing your fish sticking, Grease the grill with a clean cloth or paper towels soaked in cooking oil. Using a fish holder or clamp is a great way to handle your fish over the heat. Oil it in advance so that you fish is not sticking to the holder instead of the grill.

The hake will only need cooking for about  3 minutes on each side over direct heat. Remember that thicker cuts will need longer or shorter for a thin piece. You can visually check to see if the its done when the hake’s meat is opaque and it flakes apart easily. You can also check by the firmness – it does become much firmer when cooked through.

Serve right away with some salad and new potatoes