Skip to content

Fish, Classics and bistro fare

Hake in tomato sauce with rice

Hake in tomato sauce with rice is a fish dish for 4 people, ready in 35 minutes, rated very easy, and costing €3.20 per serving. The key is letting the fillets poach gently in the sauce without stirring, so they stay whole. The white rice soaks up the sauce and rounds out the plate.

A hake fillet that gently poaches in a tomato sauce with herbs, served with white rice so nothing goes to waste on the plate.

Hake in tomato sauce with rice
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
520 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

The hake cooks slowly in a tomato sauce seasoned with herbes de Provence, so it never dries out. The flesh stays tender and flakes into big pieces, while the sauce gets its depth from onion, garlic, and a pinch of sugar that softens the tomato's sharpness. The white rice soaks up all that sauce, so nothing is left behind on the plate.

This is the kind of dish you throw together on a weeknight without much thought, using ingredients you almost always have on hand. Fish like this tends to go over well with kids since it's soft, free of visible bones, and coated in a mild rather than sharp sauce. Mon Chou likes to suggest it when there's leftover rice to use up, or when you want a meal that's quick to put together but still satisfying.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Hake fillets 600 g

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Herbes de Provenceoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Parsley 4 sprigs

Allergens Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat. 5 min

    Don't let the garlic brown, it turns bitter.

  2. Add the tomatoes, herbs, sugar, salt, and pepper, and let it simmer. 12 min

    A pinch of sugar cuts through the tomato's acidity.

  3. Cook the rice in salted water. 11 min

    Rinse it first for grains that stay nicely separate.

  4. Lay the hake fillets into the sauce, cover, and let them cook. 8 min

    They're done when the flesh flakes easily with a fork.

  5. Serve the fish over the rice, topped with sauce and scattered with parsley.

    A drizzle of raw olive oil over the sauce gives it a nice shine.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick hake fillets that are thick and roughly the same size, so they cook evenly and stay moist.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the fish, that's the right moment to adjust the salt or add a touch more sugar if it's too sharp.
  • Drain the rice well as soon as it's done cooking so it doesn't keep steaming in its own heat and turn sticky.

The variations

  • Swap the hake for cod or coley, both white fish that poach the same way in tomato sauce.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the fish with chickpeas or sautéed diced zucchini stirred into the sauce at the end of cooking.
  • To save time, use precooked rice warmed up for 2 minutes and cut the sauce's simmering time down to 8 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A squeeze of fresh lemon on the fish
  • A simple green salad
  • Crusty bread to mop up the sauce

Storage

Keep leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days, fish and rice together or separate. Reheat gently in a pan or saucepan over low heat so the hake doesn't dry out. Freezing isn't recommended, cooked fish loses its texture once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the tomato sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the tomato sauce a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Warm it gently before adding the hake fillets so they poach in a sauce that's already hot.

What fish can replace hake in this recipe?

Cod and coley both work well, since they're firm white fish that poach the same way. Avoid very delicate fish, which can fall apart in the sauce.

How do you know when the hake is cooked through?

The flesh should flake easily with a fork and turn opaque white all the way through. If it still looks translucent in the center, cover and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Can you use fresh tomatoes instead of canned crushed tomatoes?

Yes, use about 600g of ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled and roughly blended. The sauce may need a bit more simmering time since fresh tomatoes release more water.

How long does it take to make a hake in tomato sauce with rice?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a hake in tomato sauce with rice?

About 520 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a hake in tomato sauce with rice cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Family and bistro classics

See all

Recipes with cod

See all