Hake with Onions and Dill (Merluza Encebollada con Eneldo)

This 30-minute recipe makes an excellent lunch or dinner for busy days. If you love Spanish fish recipes, you need to try these mouthwatering recipes for baked gilt head bream and anchovies in vinegar.

Introduction

People on my food tours are fascinated to learn that fish plays an important role in Madrileño cuisine. Madrid is about 3 hours away from the coast, so I understand their confusion.

But you can get excellent quality fish and seafood in Madrid's markets, like at MercaMadrid: the second largest fish market in the world. When I visited in 2013, I was amazed by the quantity of fish in its warehouses!

Before moving to Spain, I rarely cooked fish at home, but here in Spain, I've been hooked on cooking fish ever since living with my mother-in-law, Antonia, for a few months in the small city of El Puerto de Santa María in Cadiz. Here, fish and shellfish are on the menu every day of the week, and I am in seafood heaven each time I visit.

This week, I was craving fish, but wanted to try a new recipe. This baked hake is based on a recipe in a Spanish cookbook I bought: Christmas, Delicioso! Regional Cooking of Spain by Penelope Casas.

I've changed a few things about it, and it came out perfectly. What I love most about Spanish fish recipes is that they are so easy!

In literally 30 minutes, I had a healthy and delicious lunch on the table.

Ingredients

Want to whip up this baked hake with onion and dill? All you need is thirty minutes and a few simple ingredients!

Let me tell you about the key ingredients in this recipe.

• Hake: Either steaks or fillets of hake (Pacific whiting) work well in this recipe. You can substitute it with cod, haddock, or even flounder if you can't find hake.
• Onion: Sliced yellow or white onions taste wonderful with the fish.
• Dill: Use fresh dill if you can get it, or substitute with dried dill if you can't get fresh. This herb brings a light, refreshing flavor to the dish!
• Sherry: The sherry (or a very dry white wine) adds a beautiful depth of flavor to the sautéed onions.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Hake with Onions & Dill

If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.

• Pour some olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (image 1)
• Add the wine and turn up the heat, simmering the mixture until the wine has reduced by three-quarters. Take it off the heat. (image 2)
• Place the hake in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. (image 3)
• Spread the onions on and around the fish. (image 4)
• Mix the minced garlic, breadcrumbs, and fresh dill together to make the seasoning blend. (image 5)
• Sprinkle generously over the fish and onion mixture. (image 6)
• Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. (image 7)
• Serve the hake with a side (like rice, couscous, mashed potatoes, or broccoli) and enjoy! (image 8)

Recipe FAQs

What is the best way to cook hake? Cooking hake in the oven or in a pan on the stovetop are delicious, easy, and popular ways to cook this fish!

I especially love baking hake with onions, garlic, and dill for lots of flavor. What is hake called in Spain? Hake is called merluza in Spain, and can also be called Pacific whiting in English.

Serve

This baked hake with onions and dill is a perfect healthy lunch or dinner! I love serving it with rice, mashed potatoes, couscous, or broccoli, and it would also be lovely with an ensalada mixta and a slice of lemon olive oil cake.

Expert Tips

• You can swap out the hake for cod, haddock, or even flounder if you can't find hake. The sherry can be substituted with a very dry white wine.
• Hake doesn't need to be cooked very long, but always check it with a thermometer to make sure it's reached an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C).