Hake under marinade

Hake goes on sale in freshly frozen form. This greatly facilitates the work with fish, reducing the preparatory stage to a simple defrosting. We wash the fish with running water, dry it with a paper towel and cut it into portions.

Pour flour into a deep bowl, add salt, nutmeg and ground pepper. Nutmeg is not the most common seasoning for frying fish, but it gives the necessary shade in taste, and gives the dish a zest.

Heat the frying pan with vegetable oil to a very hot state. Dip each piece of fish in a mixture of flour and spices, put it in a frying pan, fry on both sides for 5-7 minutes on medium heat under a closed lid. The time is adjusted depending on the size of the pieces. There will be no further stewing in vegetables, so fry until fully cooked.

While the fish is frying in the pan, prepare the vegetables. Onions and carrots are cleaned, washed, dried. Onions are cut into small cubes or half rings, depending on the desire and size of the bulbs. Carrots are grated on a coarse grater, no pieces are needed in this recipe.

Heat the second frying pan with vegetable oil, spread the vegetables, stir well. Add salt, ground pepper and peas, bay leaf and nutmeg. Stir, pour in water, reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer under a closed lid for 5-7 minutes.

Add tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and sugar to the marinade. Cover with a lid and simmer for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are fully cooked. We put the finished fish in a deep container (glass mold or plastic dish), cover it with hot marinade and leave it on the table for 2 hours. After that, we put it in the refrigerator, where we keep it until the very moment of serving.

During this time, the fish will be completely saturated with the taste and aroma of seasonings with vegetables, will acquire the tenderness and taste it needs. Serve cold with any side dish and a spoonful of sour cream.

Bon appetit!