Merluza en Salsa Verde (Hake in Parsley and Garlic Green Sauce)

• 30 g Fresh parsley
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 20 g Plain flour
• 150 ml Dry White Wine
• 350 ml Fish stock
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 600 g Clams, fresh, live
• 700 g Hake fillet, skinless
• 1 medium Lemon

1. Pick the parsley leaves and finely chop them. Finely slice the garlic. Rinse the clams well under cold running water, discarding any that are cracked or stay open when tapped.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not coloured. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw taste.
3. Pour in the wine and whisk until smooth. Add the fish stock, salt and black pepper, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until lightly thickened.
4. Stir in most of the parsley, reserving a little to finish. Add the clams, cover, and cook over a medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams open. Lift out the clams with a slotted spoon and keep warm; discard any that remain closed.
5. Lower the heat so the sauce barely trembles. Nestle the hake into the sauce in a single layer, cover, and poach gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Spoon the sauce over the fish once or twice as it cooks.
6. Return the clams to the pan to warm through for 1 minute. Squeeze in a little lemon juice to taste and scatter over the reserved parsley. Serve straight away, spooning plenty of green sauce over each portion.

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