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Fish, Busy evenings

Poached hake with hollandaise and steamed potatoes

Poached hake with hollandaise and steamed potatoes is a fish dish topped with a buttery egg yolk sauce, served with small new potatoes. It takes 40 minutes for 4 people, at €3.60 per person, medium difficulty. Success depends on keeping the sauce on very gentle heat, since it splits if it ever boils.

Tonight, poached hake fillets topped with a creamy hollandaise sauce, with steamed potatoes and parsley.

Poached hake with hollandaise and steamed potatoes
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.60
Calories per person
520 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Poached hake stays firm and mild, with no fishy edge, while the hollandaise sauce carries all the character of the dish, rich and lightly sharpened by lemon. The small steamed potatoes, simply tossed with parsley, balance this richness without weighing the plate down. It is the kind of meal that feels like a special occasion without the fuss that usually comes with one.

It works well for a weeknight dinner when you have a little extra time, around 40 minutes, and want something other than the usual oven baked fish. Kids tend to accept hake easily, since it has no bones and a mild taste, and the sauce always gets noticed at the table. Mon Chou suggests it for evenings when you feel like cooking a bit more without going full dinner party.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Hake fillets 4

Butcher

  • Egg yolks 3

Dairy

  • Butter 150 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lemon 1
  • New potatoes 900 g
  • Parsley 1 bunch

Pantry

  • Court bouillonoften in the pantry 50 cl
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish, Eggs, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Steam the potatoes until tender. 20 min

    Keep them warm under a clean kitchen towel.

  2. Melt the butter gently and skim it to clarify it. 5 min

    Remove the white foam from the top and keep the clear yellow butter.

  3. Whisk the egg yolks with a spoonful of water and the lemon juice over a bain marie, then pour in the butter in a thin stream, whisking constantly. 8 min

    The sauce should coat the whisk, if it splits add a spoonful of cold water.

  4. Meanwhile, poach the hake fillets in the gently simmering court bouillon. 8 min

    The liquid should not boil, the fish stays firm.

  5. Drain the fish, spoon over the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and serve with the parsley potatoes.

    Serve right away, the sauce does not keep.

Our tips to get it right

  • Make the hollandaise last, right before serving, since it does not hold or reheat well.
  • Use a heavy bottomed saucepan for the bain marie, the heat rises more slowly and you keep better control over the egg yolks.
  • Pick hake fillets of similar thickness so they all poach at the same rate without some overcooking.

The variations

  • Swap the hake for cod or coley, two firm white fish that poach the same way.
  • For a quicker version, make a blender hollandaise with an immersion blender instead of whisking by hand, it takes two minutes.
  • For kids who skip the sauce, serve the poached fish plain with a squeeze of lemon and the potatoes.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with lemon dressing
  • A glass of dry white wine
  • Steamed green beans

Storage

Hollandaise does not keep, make it and serve it the same day. The poached fish and potatoes keep for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container, best reheated gently without the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Why did my hollandaise split?

The heat was too high or the butter went in too fast. Whisk in a spoonful of cold water off the heat, this usually brings the sauce back together.

Can you make hollandaise ahead of time?

No, it is best served as soon as it is ready. At most, hold it a few minutes over a turned off bain marie, no longer.

What fish can replace hake in this recipe?

Cod, coley, or whiting all work well, they are firm white fish that poach the same way.

How do you know when the hake is cooked through?

The flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Eight minutes in a gently simmering court bouillon is enough for standard fillets.

How long does it take to make poached hake with hollandaise and steamed potatoes?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in poached hake with hollandaise and steamed potatoes?

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 poached hake with hollandaise and steamed potatoes cost?

About €3.60 per serving, or €14.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

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

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