Merluza en Salsa Verde
Hake gently cooked in a parsley, garlic, and white wine sauce.
Ingredients
- 700 g White fish fillet
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 5 tbsp Parsley
- 120 ml White wine
- 1 tbsp 00 flour
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 150 g Green beans (optional)
Method
- Mince the garlic and the parsley.
- Warm the garlic gently in the olive oil, stir in the flour to cook off the raw taste, then add the white wine and a little water to make a loose sauce.
- Lay the fish and green beans in the pan, add the salt, and cook gently, shaking the pan in a circular motion so the oil and liquid emulsify into a glossy sauce, until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily.
- Stir the parsley through off the heat.
- Serve from the pan with bread.
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About Merluza en Salsa Verde
Merluza en salsa verde is a cornerstone of Basque cooking — hake gently poached in a bright green sauce of garlic, parsley, and white wine. Unlike fried preparations, this dish is all about restraint and emulsion: there's no browning, no heavy seasoning, just clean flavors built from a handful of ingredients. The result is silky and light, the fish opaque and flaking apart in a glossy, faintly herbal sauce that tastes of garlic and wine without any harshness. Green beans cook alongside, adding a little bite and turning the plate into a full, elegant meal.
What makes this version distinctly Basque is the technique of shaking the pan in a circular motion, which coaxes the olive oil, wine, and released fish gelatin into an emulsified sauce that clings and shines rather than separating. A spoonful of flour cooked into the oil at the start helps thicken and stabilize it, while the parsley goes in only at the end so it stays vivid and fresh. It's a naturally light, high-protein dish that comes together in half an hour and is traditionally eaten straight from the earthenware cazuela with plenty of bread for mopping. Serve it with a chilled Txakoli or any crisp white to echo the wine in the sauce.
Merluza en Salsa Verde: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Merluza en Salsa Verde?
A serving has about 326 calories — 30.4g protein, 4.3g carbs, 18g fat, 0.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 30.4g of protein, roughly 37% of its calories.
Is Merluza en Salsa Verde gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains 00 flour. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Merluza en Salsa Verde take to make?
About 30 minutes start to finish, but only around 22 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Merluza en Salsa Verde?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out green beans — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Merluza en Salsa Verde make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.