How to make
Clean the fish, by removing the fins from the head part as well as the teeth - you can just cut the jaw from eye level. We're using the head plus three fingers from the back of the fish.
Loosen and remove the bone from the back of the head and rub generously with olive oil and salt on all sides.
Prepare the grill and when the coals are live and flames are coming out here and there, place the grill rack low and lay the back of the head on it - opened up and with the skin upwards. As soon as it has been grilled for 5 minutes, turn it on the skin side for 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a pan and add the garlic and clams. When the clams open up, add salt and lemon juice and brandy. Cook like this for a maximum of a minute.
Remove the finished fish head and place it on a serving plate and pour the flavored olive oil and the clams over it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
This dish is prepared in a similar way to Basque Orio, but there are some differences. Here the main focus is the head of the fish, which in the case of the hake contains a lot of meat and is extremely tasty, at the very least it will release juices that will mix with the sauce and make it even more delicious. In the very back of a fish of such size and weight, there is enough meat to easily feed two people.
Serving a fish with the head has had its own meaning since time immemorial and it is to show that it is fresh and of good quality, since we all know that when it is stale, the head is the first to spoil and starts to smell. This is because it contains the most valuable essences and flavors, which are the least durable.
This way, by demonstrating the freshness of the freshly caught fish, people also discovered how delicious the head itself is, serving it not only for show and ritual, but also to eat it with pleasure.
Try it and enjoy it too!
Enjoy your meal!
