SERVES 4
The highly popular merluza (hake) is a long and thin fish, nickel-gray, with flaky, soft flesh. (Hake is generally cut into steaks because the fillets are hard to handle.) The best ones are line-caught in Galicia. Called merluza de pincho, these are sold in markets with the hook and a short length of fishing filament still attached—there is no mistaking them. Use fresh cod or snapper for this recipe if you can’t find hake. And though steaks are preferable, fillets will also work.
In Galicia, preparing hake with this vinegary, sweet paprika sauce called ajada is typical. This version is simple, and requires just a single pot for cooking the potatoes and the fish. It’s pure Galician country cooking, with few ingredients and none of the flavors lost.
1. To make the Galician Ajada Sauce: In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, stir in a pinch of salt, and add the bay leaf. Let cool for a few minutes and then stir in the paprika and vinegar.
2. In a large pot that will comfortably hold the potatoes as well as the fish, bring about 5 quarts/5 L water to a boil. Add the bay leaf, season with salt, and add the potatoes. Boil until tender but not crumbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Season the hake with salt and pepper and set it in the water with the potatoes. Poach until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. With a wide slotted spoon, transfer the fish and potatoes to a platter to drain off any excess liquid. Arrange the potatoes on a serving platter with the fish on top.
4. Scoop out ¼ cup/60 ml of the liquid from the pot and whisk it into the ajada sauce. Spoon about half of the sauce over the fish. Serve with the remaining sauce in a bowl on the side to spoon over as desired.