Hake is a fish you may not have heard of before. But it's a legitimate Gulf species, caught frequently enough to appear on the menus of restaurants that put some work into finding fish. Indeed, I've run into it three or four times in the last few months, so perhaps its popularity is increasing. The hake is a funny-looking fish. It has a tail the comes to a point, with a continuous fin along its back and underside. It looks like a standard fish in front and an eel in the back. It turns up in shrimp season, when it's found as a by-catch in shrimp nets. Hake is distantly related to cod. Like that fish, its flesh is white and flaky, and lends itself very well to the fish dishes we like to cook and order in restaurants. I'd say it comes out best sauteed; it's a little too soft for the grill, although some chefs prepare it that way. It's a sleeper of a species. Try it if it ever comes your way.
This is today's item in a countdown of unusual seafood found on menus around New Orleans. Included are both species from faraway waters, and local fish and shellfish that we don't find very often in restaurants or markets.
