Merluza a la Vasca (Basque style hake)

For Mother’s Day, I thought I’d fix my mom (and the rest of the family) one of my favorite Spanish dishes, sampled often at Restaurante Colon in the village of Torrejon.  The fish cooks in a savory, garlic laced, green sauce and involves no last minute preparation, always a plus in my book.

Ingredients

4 fish steaks, hake or cod, about 1 inch thick
salt
pepper
flour for dusting
4 T. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
3 T. minced onion
2 T. flour
3/4 c. white wine
3/4 c. clam juice
6 T. minced parsley
3/4 c. peas, fresh or frozen
1 dozen small clams
1 dozen mussels
1 jar (11.6 oz.) white asparagus
1 jar (2 oz.) pimento strips
1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Dust with flour.
• Heat 2 T. oil in large frying pan.  Cook fish about 1 minute on each side.
• Transfer fish to 4 individual baking dishes.  Top with lemon juice
• Add remaining oil to pan.  Cook garlic and onion until translucent.
• Stir in 2 T. flour, gradually adding wine and clam juice.  Stir until thick and smooth.
• Add 5 T. parsley, peas, salt and pepper.
• Pour sauce over the fish.  Add clams, mussels, asparagus, and pimento to the baking dishes.
• Bake for 20 to 40 minutes, until fish flakes and the clams and mussels are open.
• Top with remaining parsley, 1 T., and chopped egg.

Serves 4