Merluza en salsa con gambas, hake with prawn sauce, is a traditional Spanish dish of tender hake fillets served with a rich, flavorful prawn sauce. It’s often served as a main course with rice or potatoes.
To make it, the hake fillets are seasoned with salt and pepper and pan-seared until golden on both sides. While the fish cooks, the prawn sauce is made by sautéing onions, garlic and tomatoes in olive oil, then adding prawns, white wine and fish stock. The sauce is simmered until thick and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the sauce has thickened, the hake fillets are added to the pan and spooned over with the prawn sauce. The dish then simmers for a few minutes so the flavors can blend.
Hake with prawn sauce is a delicious, elegant dish, perfect for special occasions or a romantic dinner. Tender hake and a rich prawn sauce make a hearty, flavorful dish with a subtle sweetness from the prawns. It’s a great example of Spain’s varied, sophisticated cooking, which combines classic ingredients and techniques with modern touches.