rose harissa hake with roasted cauliflower
This recipe is a delicious mix of lovely warm spices from the rose harissa and slight sweetness from the hake and coconut milk. It’s a great way to get a bit more fish in your diet - and cooking it in a sauce was always a good way to get my kids to eat it!
Depending on how spicy you want to go, you can double the rose harissa for extra heat or dial it back if you want a milder creamier flavour.
Roasted cauliflower is one of my favourite veggies and works really well with this dish. I’ve made it super tasty with a mix of coconut oil, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Cauliflower adds extra fiber to your plate and is also high in a compound called sulforaphane, which may enhance detoxification activity in the liver and protect against free radical cell damage in the body.
Hake is a good source of lean protein, with around 20g per 100g fillet. It’s a ‘complete’ protein containing all 9 ‘essential’ amino acids; these aminos are essential as they must be consumed in the diet as the body cannot synthesise them. It’s important to eat sufficient amounts of protein (I try to eat 1.5-2g per kg of body weight per day) for muscle repair and growth, immune function, heart health, and even brain function.
Hake is a good source of tryptophan, one of the nine essential amino acids. Tryptophan is understood to improve sleep quality as it helps to produce the hormone melatonin. Tryptophan is also a precursor to serotonin, which is important for sleep, mood, and appetite regulation.
Hake contains healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega 3s (but in smaller amounts than oily fish such as salmon and mackerel); these fats may have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the risk of heart and neurodegenerative diseases.
Hake is also high in several minerals that are essential for keeping our bodies functioning properly. The main ones include:
Phosphorus - this mineral is found in high-protein food as phosphates. It is associated with energy metabolism and can help with weight control. It also helps to maintain a normal PH, and is a major component of cell membranes, bones, and teeth. 85% of phosphorus in the body is found in bones.
Potassium - is a mineral and electrolyte that balances sodium levels in the body and, therefore, may help to regulate blood pressure. It is needed for normal muscular and nerve function and plays a role in maintaining bone density by neutralizing acids that can leach calcium from bones. A diet rich in potassium may help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Magnesium is essential for over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, including energy production, DNA synthesis, muscle contraction and relaxation, blood sugar regulation, nerve function, and bone health.
These minerals are key to maintaining a healthy metabolism and bone strength and density and may be important in mid-life. Metabolism and lean muscle can decrease, and women, in particular, are more susceptible to a decrease in bone density and osteoporosis with declining levels of oestrogen as they reach perimenopause.
If you can’t get hold of hake, sub for any other white fish or salmon. You could also make this recipe vegan by using firm tofu chopped into cubes instead of fish.
Ingredients
Serves 4
½ tbsp coconut oil
1 lg onion, half moon slices
1 red pepper, sliced
1 lg garlic clove, grated finely
1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
1 x 400g tin coconut milk
1 tbsp rose harissa
4 hake fillets
Handful chopped coriander
2 limes cut in quarters
1 cauliflower, chopped in med florets
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground smoked paprika
Pinch of sea salt
Method
Heat the oven to 180.
Warm a large sauté pan and melt the coconut oil.
Gently fry the onions for 10 mins, then add the red pepper for another 10 min.
Prep the cauliflower by spreading it in a large baking tray, add 4-5 knobs of coconut oil and the ground spices. Set aside.
Next, add the garlic to the onions and peppers for a minute before mixing in the ground spices. Allow to warm for 20 seconds, and then pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk. Add the harissa and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the fish to the sauce for 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked.
Place the cauliflower in the oven for 12 minutes.
Finish the fish by adding a good pinch of sea salt and chopped coriander, and serve with a couple of lime wedges.
Tip
Switch tinned for 6 large vine tomatoes.
You can use any white fish in this dish, so cod, sea bass, pollack
The sauce won’t be particularly thick but don’t worry, the rice and cauliflower soak it all up. You could add a tbsp of cornflower mixed in a little water to thicken if you want to though. Just make sure you whisk it into the sauce quickly, or it’ll end up in a lump!