Hake

The fish that can’t get any respect remains a good buy, no matter what it’s called

Hake is the Rodney Dangerfield of the whitefish world. It’s the fish that just can’t get any respect. At least that’s the story in America, where the seafood industry goes to great lengths in its efforts to perpetrate a hake cover-up. 

In places like St. Louis, hake is called jack salmon. The Midwest, where until recently most people  didn’t know the difference between a cod and a coho, is a traditional dumping ground for cheap fish.  On the West Coast, home to one of the largest hake fisheries in the world, seafood processors changed the name of Pacific hake to Pacific whiting in the 1970s in a fruitless attempt to give their fish an image boost.

When it’s not being passed off as some kind of a piscatorial puzzler, hake is simply sold as whitefish, or more often as “fried fish.” 

But that’s not the case in other parts of the world, where hake is not a name to run from. At the Rock Hotel in Gibraltar, diners can select “seared hake with lemon crushed potatoes and leek and black olive velouté.” On the Isle of Guernsey, hake gets star treatment at the Vazon Bay Hotel, where the menu features “fillet of fresh hake dusted with flour, sprinkled with paprika and black pepper, grilled, garnished with Norwegian prawns and capers and finished with fresh Guernsey herbs.”

And down on Rio’s most notorious beach, guests at the Ipanema Porto Restaurant can savor Roasted Hake Poveria Style.

The reason hake is a headache in this country is simple: There are 15 species fished commercially in the family Merluccidae that are called either hake or whiting. Some of them are big fish with sweet, delicate, white meat that is almost sublime. Others, though, are small fish with soft, grayish meat and a deep fat line that gives them a taste that is far less than sublime.

Most of the hake sold in the United States — fish like Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi), Chilean hake (M. gayii) and Pacific whiting (M. productus) — traditionally have been on the low end of the culinary spectrum. The chief attribute of these fish is that they are typically the cheapest white fish around and fillets are often sold at retail for as little as 99 cents a pound.

The best hakes — fish like the European hake (M. merluccius), South African hake (M. capensis) and a big hake from southern Chile (M. australis) — have all been marketed primarily in Europe, where the biggest fish (they can reach 10 pounds) fetch a premium price.

Still, there are signs Americans are warming up to the taste of hake — only they still have no idea they’re eating hake. In recent years, moderate quantities of South African hake and Chile’s big hake have found markets in the United States. To avoid any association with their less desirable cousins, though, the South African hake is sold as Cape capensis, while Chile’s M. australis, which is also caught off New Zealand, is marketed as Antarctic queen.          

Supply outlook

All is not well in the world of whiting. The quota for Pacific whiting, which the National Marine Fisheries Service in April officially declared overfished, has been cut again in 2002 to just over 130,000 metric tons, down from last year’s harvest of 165,000 metric tons and well below the typical catch of more than 200,000 metric tons. About 60 percent of the quota will be turned into surimi. 

Argentina’s big hake fishery, at one point the largest in the world, with landings in excess of 400,000 metric tons, continues to struggle. Catches in 2002 are again expected to come in at well under 200,000 metric tons. Since 1998, U.S. imports of Argentine hake fillets have fallen from 7,000 metric tons a year to less than 2,000 metric tons a year.

In contrast, the largest hake fishery in the world remains in relatively good shape. The 2002-03 quota for hake catches off Namibia and South Africa has been reduced only slightly, to about 350,000 metric tons. As a result, U.S. imports of capensis fillets should continue to be about 5,000 metric tons next year. A weakening dollar, however, could direct more fish to southern Europe, the primary market for this fishery.

On the east coast of the United States, landings of silver hake (M. bilinearis), also known simply as whiting, could be reduced from their current levels of about 12,000 to 14,000 metric tons, due to the new groundfish restrictions.  Most of this fish is sold fresh to ethnic markets in the northeastern United States.

Price outlook

Don’t be surprised if that cheap hake isn’t quite as cheap next year. Reduced supplies of Argentine hake and Pacific whiting, combined with a stronger European currency, could easily result in a price increase of 10 percent or more by the end of 2002. Look for ex-importer prices of      average-quality 4- to 6-ounce Argentine shatters to rise above $1 a pound by the end of the year. The ex-processor price of Pacific whiting fillets (skin-on, boneless) should also increase to levels of about $1 a pound by this winter.

On the high end, prices of skinless, boneless Cape capensis fillets to distributors will probably hold steady at prices between $1.90 and $2.20 a pound, depending on product specification. Fresh white hake fillets normally fluctuate between $2 to $3 a pound, depending on landings. 

Buying tips 

Just because hake is cheap doesn’t mean it’s hard to sell. There’s a good market for inexpensive whitefish, and some hake definitely fit the bill. Boneless hake fillets can sell  for as little as 80 cents a pound, making them an attractive buy for seafood shoppers more interested in bargains than culinary quality.

If you’re looking for a really good whitefish, on the other hand, step up and buy some of the more expensive hake, such as Cape capensis or Antarctic queen. At $2 a pound or so, they’re still cheaper than cod, although you’ll have to do a bit of consumer education if you want to sell them as something other than fried fish.

If you want really good fresh hake, try white hake. Small amounts (less than 3,000 metric tons a year) are landed as a bycatch by the New England groundfish fleet, but it’s a great eating fish. When landings are heavy in September and October, it’s a very good buy.           

Culinary notes

Treat high-quality hake as you would good flounder or sole. It’s pretty versatile, but since it’s a lean, delicate fish, stick with safe cooking techniques like sautéing, steaming or poaching.

Hake takes complex sauces well, and it’s great paired with shellfish like coldwater shrimp or mussels. 

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