Hake are members of the cod family, found on the continental shelf and slope to depths over 1,000m and are popular throughout Europe and America.
They are fished by bottom trawling with different mesh sizes for inshore and deep-water trawls. Ranging from 1kg to 5 kg, hake has a metallic grey back and a silvery white belly.
Hake is a mildly flavoured fish. The flesh is quite soft, but firms up on cooking, and is well worth trying. For a light, modern alternative to battered cod, try deep-frying hake fillets dipped in a light tempura batter.
