Ingredients

• 2 x 200g/7oz slices of hake
• cut through the bone (alternatively use thick hake fillets)
• pinch sea salt flakes
• 3-4 tbsp plain flour
• for dusting
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• splash malt vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped celery leaves
• plus extra for garnish
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 onion
• peeled and finely diced
• 1 garlic clove
• grated
• pinch salt
• 300g/10½oz button mushrooms
• washed
• sliced
• 75ml/2¾fl oz dry sherry
• 20g/¾oz dried mushrooms
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 75g/2¾oz butter
• pinch sea salt flakes
• 1 celery root (the end of a bunch of celery)
• cleaned
• trimmed
• stringy bits removed
• cut in half through the root
• ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 30g/1¼oz toasted hazelnuts
• to serve

Directions

• For the hake
• sprinkle one side of the hake with salt flakes. Set aside.
• For the mushroom purée
• heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with a pinch of salt. Fry for 3-4 minutes
• or until softened.
• Add 200g/7oz of the button mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 1-2 minutes
• stirring regularly. Pour in the sherry and bring to the boil
• then add the dried mushrooms. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and continue to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the double cream and return the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering
• then simmer for 4-5 minutes
• or until the volume of liquid has reduced by one-third. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a food processor
• blend the mushroom mixture to a purée
• adding the yoghurt as you blend. Strain the purée through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan
• then keep warm over a low heat.
• For the celery root
• bring 200ml/7fl oz water to the boil in a frying pan. Add the butter and a pinch of salt
• then add the celery root and reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Continue to simmer for 20-25 minutes
• or until most of the water has evaporated. Baste the celery root with the buttery juices remaining in the pan
• then sprinkle over the thyme leaves and set aside. Keep warm.
• For the mushroom purée
• sprinkle the remaining mushrooms with sea salt and set aside for 5 minutes.
• For the hake and butter sauce
• sprinkle the flour onto a plate. Dust the hake in flour to completely cover.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fish and fry for 5-6 minutes
• or until crisp and golden-brown on one side. Turn the fish over
• add the butter and cook for 4-5 minutes
• or until the hake is crisp and golden-brown on both sides and the butter has turned brown.
• Add the malt vinegar and thyme to the pan
• then baste the fish in the butter and vinegar mixture. Remove the fish from the pan.
• Add the sugar to the pan
• stirring it in the butter and vinegar mixture until dissolved. Stir in the chopped celery leaves.
• To serve
• put a spoonful of the mushroom purée into the centre of each plate. Place one piece of celery root on top with the hake alongside. Garnish with the salted mushrooms and a few sliced celery leaves
• then drizzle the butter sauce around the edge of the plates. Finish with the toasted hazelnuts.