Hake in Cava Recipe: Elegant Spanish Fish with Sparkling Wine 2026

Isabel Gaines
Hake in Cava Recipe: Elegant Spanish Fish with Sparkling Wine
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Hake in cava is a festive Spanish dish where the fish is cooked just until juicy and served in a smooth, elegant sauce made with sparkling wine. It pairs simplicity with sophistication, making it a natural choice for special occasions.

The cooking point of the hake is key to keeping it juicy and tender. For a dish like this, fresh hake is the best option, though frozen hake also gives excellent results and is a more economical, accessible alternative.


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Hake in cava sauce in a wide skillet

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The recipe includes seafood such as shrimp, langoustines or large prawns, fresh or frozen depending on budget or availability. The sauce is the true star: a silky, aromatic blend of cava enriched with a touch of saffron that deepens the flavor and gives it an appealing color. To achieve a finer, more homogeneous texture, it is carefully blended.

Hake in cava served with boiled potatoes

Here the hake in cava is accompanied by boiled potatoes, which absorb the flavors of the sauce perfectly and create a delicious balance on the plate.

Hake fillet and shrimp coated in cava sauce

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Ingredients for Hake in Cava

For 2 servings

  • 250 g potatoes, for the garnish
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tablespoon wheat flour
  • 150 ml cava
  • 200 ml fish stock
  • A few strands of saffron
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 hake loin fillets
  • 8 peeled shrimp
  • Chives

Ingredients for hake in cava on a countertop

How to Make Hake in Cava Step by Step

1. Boil the potatoes

Start by peeling 250 g of potatoes for the garnish. Fill a pot with water, add a pinch of salt and boil the potatoes for a few minutes until tender. Meanwhile, you can use the time to prepare the sauce for the hake.

Potatoes boiling in a pot of salted water

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2. Soften the onion

For the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a wide skillet. Finely chop 1 onion and soften it over medium-low heat for a few minutes until golden and reduced, stirring occasionally to keep it from burning.

Chopped onion softening in olive oil in a skillet

3. Add the flour to the onion

Add 1 tablespoon of wheat flour to the onion and cook it for 1 minute to remove the raw flavor.

Flour being stirred into the softened onion

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4. Pour in the cava and reduce

Pour in 150 ml of cava, mix well and let it reduce.

Cava being poured into the onion mixture in the skillet

5. Add the stock and build the sauce

Next, add a few strands of saffron and 200 ml of fish stock, and keep stirring the sauce over low heat for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.

Saffron and fish stock added to the cava sauce

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6. Blend the sauce

Then blend the sauce so it turns out smooth and lump-free.

Cava sauce being blended until smooth

7. Season the hake and shrimp

Season to taste with salt and pepper 2 hake loin fillets cleaned of bones and 8 peeled, deveined shrimp.

Hake fillets and shrimp being seasoned with salt and pepper

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8. Add the hake and shrimp to the sauce

Reheat the cava sauce and slide in the hake loins and the shrimp.

Hake fillets and shrimp placed into the cava sauce

9. Cook the hake in cava

Cover the skillet and cook everything over medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and the hake stays juicy.

Hake and shrimp simmering covered in cava sauce

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10. Serve with potatoes and chives

Serve the hake in cava with the potatoes for the garnish, bathed in the sauce, and sprinkle a little chopped chives on top for a fresh, decorative touch.

Hake loins in cava sauce finished with chopped chives

Tips for the Best Hake in Cava

Choose the right hake

Fresh hake is the best option for this dish, though frozen hake also gives excellent results and is a more economical, accessible alternative. Whichever you use, keep the fillets thick so they stay juicy.

Pick the seafood to suit you

The recipe calls for shrimp, but langoustines or large prawns work too, fresh or frozen depending on budget or availability. Adjust the count so each serving gets a generous share.

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Treat the sauce as the star

The sauce is the true protagonist: a silky, aromatic mix of cava enriched with saffron, which deepens the flavor and adds an appealing color. Blend it carefully for a finer, more homogeneous texture, and let the potatoes soak up every drop.

Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Total time 40 minutes
Servings 2
Course Main course
Cuisine Spanish
Calories 667 kcal per serving

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Isabel Gaines

Author

Isabel Gaines

As a former restaurant owner turned reporter, Isabel brings a unique perspective to Grand Goldman. With decades of experience, her articles on cooking and homemaking are both informative and engaging, reflecting her deep knowledge and love for all things culinary.


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