Baked Hake with Lemon Herb Crust (Printable)

Tender hake fillets baked with golden lemon-herb breadcrumb crust for quick healthy dinners.

# Ingredient List:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skinless hake fillets (approximately 5.3 ounces each)
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Herb Crust

03 - 2.8 ounces fresh breadcrumbs (preferably from day-old white or sourdough bread)
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
09 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

→ To Serve

11 - Lemon wedges

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a baking tray or line it with parchment paper.
02 - Pat the hake fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
03 - In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, dill, chives, lemon zest, and garlic. Add olive oil and mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
04 - Brush the top of each hake fillet with Dijon mustard.
05 - Press the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of each fillet to form a crust.
06 - Place the fillets on the prepared baking tray.
07 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
08 - Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crispy herb crust transforms mild hake into something restaurant-worthy with almost zero effort
  • Everything comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like you fussed over it
  • Its the perfect way to make fish feel exciting without heavy sauces or complicated techniques
02 -
  • Patting the fish completely dry before seasoning is the difference between a properly seared-style crust and a soggy disappointment
  • Press the crumbs onto the fish firmly but gently, you want them to adhere without compacting the mixture too densely
  • Let the fish rest for just a couple of minutes after baking, this helps the crust set and makes serving much easier
03 -
  • Make extra crust mixture and store it in the freezer for future fish dinners, it thaws quickly and saves time
  • If your crust starts browning too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last few minutes

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