Hoki is a fish belonging to the hake family. Its other name, "macrouronus," is used infrequently. Fish are characterized by a rather long tail without a pronounced fin and are considered commercial. Hoki appears frequently on domestic shelves, but hardly can be called popular. They buy this fish, as a rule, confusing it with hake. The fact is that it is mainly sold in gutted carcasses, so it is really very easy to confuse. Moreover, without heads and tails they are very similar.
Habitat
Relating to deep- sea marine fish, hoki is most often found off the coast of South America, Tasmania and New Zealand. So for Argentina, Chile and some other countries in the region, its capture is very important. Fish gets to the European market mainly in the form of frozen carcasses. Where haki fish are found, they are often used fresh.
This predator feeds mainly on small herring. Body size, depending on age and living conditions, can range from a few centimeters to one and a half meters. Argentinean Hoki differs from other brethren in a darker color of the back.
Nutritional value of the product
This fish, like hake, contains few bones. Her white meat can be considered dietary due to its low fat content. Nutritional value is close to cod, energy does not exceed 80 kcal per 100 grams, contains up to 19% protein, iodine, phosphorus and other useful trace elements. And all this is hoki meat. Fish, the benefits of which are well known and indisputable, should be on the table as often as possible. After all, firstly, it is available. Secondly, useful. And thirdly, it’s very tasty (especially if it is cooked correctly).
Baked Hoki Fish
Recipes for cooking dishes from this product, as a rule, boil down to banal boiling or frying. But it will be much tastier if baked in the oven with aromatic herbs. Hoki is a low-fat fish, so even those on a strict diet can eat it. This recipe will allow you to fully enjoy the taste of seafood.
So, you need to take a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, a small bunch of parsley, a handful of walnuts, 0.5 cups of breadcrumbs, a little olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons of Pesto sauce, salt, ground pepper (you can replace seasoning for fishes).
Hoki needs to be thawed, sprinkled with lemon juice and put on a greased baking sheet. Previously, under the bottom should be put a few cloves of garlic, cut lengthwise into 2-3 parts, they will give the dish an additional flavor. Then the breadcrumbs are mixed with salt, pepper and Pesto, crushed nuts, chopped greens are added and this mixture is laid on top of the fish. Hoki should be slightly sprinkled with olive oil so that it does not turn out to be dry. And then she is sent to a moderately hot oven for 20 minutes. During this time, a fragrant golden crust should appear. They serve such a fish with vegetable salad or mashed potatoes.
Batter filet
This is a less sophisticated fish cooking option. You can fry in vegetable oil, in principle, any fillet. Baked hoki will undoubtedly be more useful, but when there is a minimum of time and food in stock, this recipe will be more welcome. And in batter it will turn out both tastier and juicier than without it.
So, on 2 hoki fillets (the fish should be pre-cut in portions about 5 cm long), you will need 2 chicken eggs, salt and ground pepper to taste. You should also take vegetable oil for frying and about 100 grams of flour.
Thawed fish is salted and peppered on both sides. Beat eggs and gradually add flour to them, getting a dough that looks like thick sour cream. Batter needs to be slightly salted. Heat oil in a pan. Each piece of fish is completely immersed in the batter, pulled out with a fork and quickly transferred to the pan. Fry on both sides until a golden crust is obtained. Serving the fillet is best with mashed potatoes, but it is also possible with rice or another side dish.
Fish cakes
Another simple but tasty diet dish. They can be fried in a pan or steamed. Hoki is a fish that is almost perfect for cooking cutlets. There are few bones in it, it is not particularly necessary to clean it.
For a kilogram of fish, take 2-3 onions, 2 chicken eggs, a glass of milk, several pieces of white bread, salt, vegetable oil. From spices, ground pepper or ready-made seasoning is suitable. Bread should be wetted in milk and left to swell. The fish is separated from the bones and passed through a meat grinder. Peel and grind onions. All mix, salt, seasoning, add eggs and mashed bread.
To make the cutlets tastier, it is better to insist the mince for half an hour. After this time, heat the oil in a pan. Cutlets are formed from minced meat and fry them on both sides. They can also be cooked in a double boiler for 15-20 minutes. It is recommended to bring fried meatballs to readiness by putting them out with bay leaf and carrots. And best served traditionally - with mashed potatoes.