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Baked Hake with Sour Cream, Onions and Carrots
Instructions
Thaw the fish safely. Put the hake in a covered container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator overnight. To thaw it faster, immerse a sealed bag in cold water, change the water every 30 minutes and cook the fish as soon as it has thawed. The stated 55 minutes do not include thawing.
Prepare the fish. Trim the fins and remove the innards and dark membrane inside each fish. Rinse briefly with cold water, pat thoroughly dry and cut crosswise into pieces about 5-6 cm wide. The pieces will contain bones, so take care when serving.
Season the hake. Rub the pieces with about two-thirds of the salt, all the pepper and paprika. Sprinkle with lemon juice and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C or 375°F and prepare the vegetables.
Soften the vegetables. Slice the onions thinly and coarsely grate the carrots. Heat the oil in a frying pan, cook the onion for 3 minutes, add the carrot and cook for another 4-5 minutes. They should soften without burning. Stir in the remaining salt.
Layer the baking dish. Spread half of the vegetables in a dish about 30 by 20 cm. Arrange the hake in one layer and spoon the remaining vegetables around the pieces. Leave a little space so heat can circulate.
Add the sauce and bake. Mix the sour cream with the water and minced garlic. Spoon it over the fish and vegetables. Bake on the middle oven shelf for 25-30 minutes at 190°C or 375°F. Loosely cover the dish with foil if the top browns too quickly.
Check and serve. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish should read 63°C or 145°F. Without a thermometer, check that the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork. Rest the dish for 5 minutes, scatter over the chopped dill and serve carefully because the fish contains bones.
Time, yield and calories
Allow about 15 minutes of hands-on preparation. The vegetables can cook during the 15-minute marinating time; baking takes 25-30 minutes and resting takes 5 minutes. Total time is about 55 minutes, excluding thawing. The ingredients make 4 servings. About 340 kcal per serving is an estimate based on edible fish, sour cream and oil; the exact value changes with bone weight and how much sauce remains in the dish.
How long to bake hake
Start timing when the dish goes into a fully preheated oven. Fish thickness and the baking dish affect the result, so check for doneness rather than relying on the clock alone.
| Cut | Oven | Approximate time |
|---|---|---|
| Fillet about 2 cm thick | 190°C / 375°F | 15-20 minutes |
| 5-6 cm fish pieces under sauce | 190°C / 375°F | 25-30 minutes |
| Small whole hake in foil | 200°C / 390°F | 25-35 minutes |
Whole hake baked in foil with lemon
This is a separate version without sour cream. Use 2 cleaned hake, each about 400-500 g, 1 lemon, 30 g butter, 2 garlic cloves, a little fresh dill or parsley, salt and pepper. Pat the fish dry and season it. Put a few lemon slices, butter, garlic and herbs in each cavity. Wrap each fish in its own foil parcel and bake at 200°C or 390°F for about 25 minutes. Open the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Check the thickest part before serving.
Baked hake with potatoes
For a one-dish meal, use 800 g hake, 800 g potatoes, 150 g onion, 200 g sour cream, 50 ml water, 25 g oil, salt and paprika. Cut the potatoes into slices about 5 mm thick, toss with oil and salt, and bake for 20 minutes at 200°C or 390°F. Add the sliced onion and prepared hake, then spoon over the sour cream mixed with water. Reduce the oven to 190°C or 375°F and cook for roughly 25 minutes more. Test the potatoes with a knife and check the fish for doneness. The time and calories at the top of this page apply only to the main recipe without potatoes.
Common mistakes
- Starting in a cold oven. The timings above no longer apply, and more water collects in the dish.
- Stacking the fish. Pieces in the middle heat unevenly. Arrange them in one layer.
- Judging by the browned sauce alone. Sour cream can colour before the fish is fully cooked. Check the thickest piece.
- Thawing on the counter. Thaw in the refrigerator or in a sealed bag in cold water, then cook promptly.
The dish and step photos are AI-generated illustrations.
Video
FAQ
Do I need to thaw hake before baking? +
For this recipe, yes. Thawed hake is easier to clean and dry, and the sauce will not be diluted by meltwater. For frozen fillets, use a recipe with its own tested timing instead of simply adding minutes to this one.
What can replace sour cream? +
Thick plain yogurt can work, but the sauce will be tangier and may separate over high heat. Cream gives a thinner sauce and a different flavour. Any substitution changes the estimated calories.
Why did my hake turn out dry? +
The pieces may have been thinner than specified, baked too long or left exposed without enough sauce. Check your oven temperature and start testing the fish 5 minutes earlier next time.
How do I know when hake is cooked? +
The most reliable check is 63°C or 145°F in the thickest part. Without a thermometer, the flesh should be opaque and separate easily with a fork.
How long can I keep leftovers? +
Cool the fish and refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 2 days and reheat until hot. Do not leave cooked fish on the counter overnight.
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