We in Scotland are all too familiar with haddock, cod and whiting, but did you know Spain's biggest selling fish is hake? Ironic in a way when the majority of these fish come from colder waters like ours. With a delicate flavour and a flaky texture, hake cooks quickly and is incredible with a few blistered tomatoes, slices of spicy sausage and of course herbs. But here I’m serving it with Heritage potatoes, smashed with butter and parsley and served alongside squid caught on our east coast, keeping this dish firmly on British soil.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

x4 150g hake fillets, scaled and bones removed (fishmongers will do this for you)

A handful of fresh Scottish squid tentacles and bodies

4 handfuls of heritage potatoes (I like Sharpe’s Express just now), par-boiled

A few spring onions, finely chopped

A tbspn of capers

A handful of curly parsley, roughly chopped

25ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil

100g butter

A few radishes, quartered

A few wood sorrel leaves

A squeeze of lemon juice

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Get a non-stick frying pan nice and hot on the hob then add a squirt of oil.

Season the fish and add it to pan to fry. Add the squid at this stage too and season again. Crisp the fish skin-side down, this will take a few minutes.

Crush the potatoes in a pot with the back of a fork. Add the spring onions and season with salt and pepper. Add 50g of butter and gently heat, continuing to crush as you warm. When the butter has mostly melted, add half the parsley and continue to heat.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a small pan. Add the capers, the remaining parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice (optional).

To assemble, place the potatoes in the centre of four warmed plates. Place the fish on top and garnish with the squid, radishes and a few sorrel leaves. Finally, drizzle the caper and parsley sauce over the top and eat with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango