Hake with Golden Beets, Pancetta & Potatoes

We found these golden beets at Whole Foods. They looked so great that we had to get them. Once home we just had the dilemma of what to serve with them so in something akin to Chopped we looked for interesting ingredients to make the final dish.

We found some HAKE and colored new potatoes.  In England, Hake is a common fish at the chip shop. Here in the states it was the first I have seen. Hake is a mild flavor deep sea fish. So when we got home we first had to prepare the beets.

A favorite way to prepare beets is to first roast in an oven, this will make them tender and intensifies their earthy flavor. Set the oven to 350f then place the beets in an oven proof dish or pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Add a little water then cover with water and roast for about 45mins until tender.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Season with salt then bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until tender.

Slice the Pancetta into lardons and cook.

Once the beets are done peel (this is best done whilst they are still warm) and then roughly chop two or three. Place in a blender and blend to a puree with a little water, some olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar. Season to taste.

Take one or two more and slice thinly.

Heat a pan over a low flame, add a little olive oil then gently heat the sliced potato, lardons of Pancetta and some arugula or spinach.

Season the Hake on both sides then sear in a hot pan with a little olive oil.

The golden beet puree is so silky smooth with its earthy taste that we could just eat it on its own. However, it also goes incredibly well with the Hake and Pancetta.