Hake: benefits and harm to health. Useful properties Characteristics of hake fish

Hake is a valuable commercial fish, which is considered one of the best among its kind. Another name for the fish is hake. Length reaches from 20 to 70 cm, weighs 2.5-3 kg. The fish lives in the salty waters of the oceans, it is caught in shallow waters, and in winter it sinks to a depth of 20 meters.

The meat is white, lean, tender and has few bones. Used in cooking and dietary nutrition, it is well absorbed by the body. Hake is sold frozen, as fresh fish quickly loses its taste.

Health benefits

Fish is a treasure trove useful vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. Nutritional value per 100 grams of boiled product – 94 kcal.

In the product large number microelements that ensure the proper functioning of all body systems. Vitamins and minerals have a beneficial effect on internal organs at the cellular level, preventing the development of dangerous pathologies.

Product benefits:

Metabolism is regulated, toxins are eliminated, cancer prevention.
Benefits for the endocrine system, skin and mucous membranes, blood sugar is regulated.
Improves the functioning of the nervous and digestive systems, is an antioxidant.

Merluza meat contains little fat, it is tastier than cod, more tender and juicy, and is easily digested by the body. As a low-calorie product, nutritionists recommend using fish in dietary and therapeutic nutrition.

Possible harm

Fish has many advantages, but along with them there are also disadvantages that can harm the body, as well as contraindications for certain diseases.

Use during diet

Supporters healthy eating include hake in your diet. Its use is a concern for health and appearance. The fish diet is the most popular, it allows you to lose up to 3-4 kg per week. When dieting, you need to eat small meals, five times a day, eat fish no more than 600 g per day.

The product is suitable for preparing any fish dishes. It is good to make minced fish and bake whole carcasses, but do not forget that the meat is a bit dry and it is advisable to serve it with sauce. The fish soup made from this fish will have less calories. It is recommended to avoid fried foods so as not to harm your figure.

It is better to cook without using oil, limit the use of spices and salt, and use boiled or raw vegetables and brown rice as a side dish. For greens, give preference to lettuce, spinach, and arugula.

Delicious recipes

Fish baked in foil in portions

Ingredients:

Fish – 2 carcasses or 4 fillets.
Zucchini squash – 1 pc.
Eggplant – 1 pc.
Tomatoes – 2 pcs.
Onions – 2 heads.
Carrots – 2 pcs.
Rosemary and thyme - 2 sprigs.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Lemon – 1 pc.
Olive oil.

Preparation:

Cut the fish into pieces.
Rinse the vegetables well, peel and chop coarsely.
Grease the foil, put 2 slices of vegetables on top, fish, tomato slices, onion, salt and pepper to taste, thyme and rosemary.
Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Can be served with lemon or lemon juice.

Hake soup

Ingredients:

Fish – 400 g.
Water – 1.7 liters.
Onions – 2 heads.
Carrots – 2 pcs.
Medium tomato – 1 pc.
Medium potatoes - 4 tubers.
Rice – 2 tbsp. spoons.
Vegetable oil for sautéing vegetables.
Greens, salt, pepper (peas) and bay leaf to taste.

Preparation:

Clean the fish and separate from the bones. Cut the fillet into small pieces.
Boil the broth from the ridge, 1 onion and 1 carrot for 20 minutes.
Finely chop the second onion, carrot and tomato (pre-peeled) and sauté in a frying pan with vegetable oil.
When the broth is ready, strain it and put it back on the fire, add potatoes, cut into large cubes, and cook for 10 minutes.
Place sautéed vegetables and rice in the fish soup and cook for another 7 minutes, then add pieces of fish and cook for another 15 minutes.
5 minutes before cooking, add salt, peppercorns and bay leaf.
Sprinkle the finished fish soup with herbs, let it brew for 10 minutes and serve.

Fish is very popular all over the world. Each kitchen has its own special recipes using this product. In Spain they like to fry fish, adding shrimp and a lot of vegetables. In Germany, it is customary to serve coarsely chopped onions and potatoes with hake. But Bulgarians love to make dishes with sweet peppers. Chileans use fish for barbecuing or grilling.

Fish in an omelet

Ingredients:

Boneless fillet – 400 g.
Carrots – 1 pc.
Onion – 1 pc.
Grated cheese – 50g.
Eggs – 3-4 pieces.
Milk – 70 ml.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Cut the fish into small pieces, finely chop the onion, grate the carrots.
Grease the baking dish with oil, sauté the vegetables in a frying pan, add the fish at the end and keep on the fire for another 5 minutes.
Beat eggs with milk and salt, transfer vegetables and fish into a mold and pour in the egg-milk mixture, put in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees.
Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake until golden brown.
Serve the dish hot, sprinkled with herbs.

Fish in an omelet can be cooked not only in the oven, but also in a slow cooker, and in a frying pan with a lid.

Eat right and benefit your health! The hake fish is useful product, capable saturate the body with essential microelements. Can be used for preparing first and second courses, aspic. In some cases, the product may be harmful to health. With the help of recipes you can prepare a delicious lunch or dinner for the whole family. It is recommended to include fish in the diet no more than 3 times a week. Allowed to be given to children from 8 months.

Hake often appears on our tables. This fish cannot be called scarce; it can be easily purchased in any supermarket at an affordable price. And this fact has played a cruel joke on hake: many people underestimate its role for the body. By the way, this is one of the best natural medicines for people with diabetes, thyroid disorders, prone to nervous disorders, and hake can even protect against cancer.

General characteristics

Hake (or hake) is a predatory sea fish from the cod family. It is easily recognized by its black mouth, narrow elongated body with silvery sides, and on its dark back, unlike other fish, there is only one fin. Adult fish usually weigh up to 3 kg and grow up to half a meter in length, although one and a half meter record holders are sometimes found.

There are a dozen varieties of hake in the waters of the World Ocean. Merluzas are deep-sea fish that feel comfortable 100 meters under water, and even swim to a depth of 1000 meters. Most of them live near continents in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Depending on the place of “registration”, several varieties of hake are distinguished. European - inhabit the waters from Norway and Iceland to the coast of Mauritania, and are found in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Silvery - found near North America. Pacific (Oregon) - found from the Bering Sea to the Gulf of California. And also New Zealand ones - they stick to the shores of New Zealand and Patagonia.

By the way, different types of hake differ not only in their places of residence, but also in some external signs, although on nutritional value it has almost no effect on their meat.

Chemical composition and nutritional value

Hake meat is an easily digestible protein with high biological value. 100 g of fillet contains almost 19 g and only within 1 g. Fish meat is rich. It contains many, , and some other useful components. This fish is useful as a source of important for humans, including from the group. And with all this, 100 g of fillet contains no more than 86 kcal.

What are the health benefits?

The fact that any fish is one of the most important products for people has long been a known and generally accepted fact. But still chemical composition different types fish is slightly different, which means that the role of such products for the body may also be different.

Hake, for example, is considered the best choice for people with diabetes and extra pounds, as it contains a minimum of calories and prevents the accumulation of fat. For people with diabetes, hake is useful not only as a dietary product, but also due to the content of substances that help lower blood sugar. In addition, the mineral-vitamin complex contained in this product can be considered as an ideal combination for the thyroid gland, digestive organs, nervous system, mucous membranes and skin. This fish fillet has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. And some components that make up hake help cleanse the blood and remove toxic substances from the body.

Not only meat, but also hake caviar is healthy.

Spanish researchers studied the chemical composition of caviar from 15 varieties of fish. It turned out that the highest levels of omega-3 are found in the caviar of hake, salmon and lumpfish. This fact serves as indisputable confirmation that hake caviar is extremely beneficial for humans. Thanks to omega-3, it protects against nervous disorders, heart and vascular diseases, improves the reproductive functions of the body, prevents hypertension, diabetes and depression. And this is just, so to speak, a basic list of beneficial properties that polyunsaturated fatty acids impart to caviar. In addition, do not forget that all seafood is an exceptional source of iodine, a substance extremely important for people with thyroid disorders.

Possible harm and contraindications

Everything is good in moderation. This rule must be remembered when eating hake dishes. Firstly, this fish contains a lot of iron. This, of course, is wonderful, but overuse of the mineral can cause constipation. Another potential danger of hake is an increase in overall body acidity, which is dangerous for people with already compromised pH levels. Well, of course, this fish should not be on the menu of people with allergies to seafood, intolerance to protein or other components found in hake.

And one more bad news about cod. This type of fish, more than some other seafood, tends to accumulate mercury and heavy metals contained in seawater in its body. Therefore, it is so important where exactly the fish offered to the buyer as a product was caught. At the slightest suspicion that the carcass is contaminated with chemicals, it is better to refuse the purchase, especially if the product is intended for children, pregnant, lactating women, sick or elderly people.

In order to protect yourself and your loved ones from this danger, any fish must be subjected to thorough heat treatment.

Use in cooking

Europeans have long called hake the best representative of all cod. Cooks and gourmets love its tender white meat (although almost without fat, but not as dry as that). There are almost no bones in it, and those that are present can be easily separated from the cooked fillet. Merluza is the best choice for the diet menu. Dishes made from it are suitable for children and people with digestive problems, since hake is perfectly accepted by any organism.

Hake can be cooked in a variety of ways. Cooks all over the world fry, bake, steam and boil hake. They are suitable for preparing cold appetizers, fish soup, cutlets and fish fillings for pies. Since the hake carcass contains almost no fat, to prevent rapid drying, it is better to bake the fish either in foil or in dough. Many people like the last option for its originality. And fish prepared in this way turns out very tender and juicy.

Merluza contains almost no calories, and therefore even those on a low-calorie diet can afford the carcass cooked in sour cream or cream sauce (even in this form, the calorie content of hake will not go off scale). It is also better to fry hake in batter and serve with sauce or juicy vegetables.

How to choose and store correctly

If the purpose of the purchase is fresh hake, then it is important to follow the generally accepted rules for choosing fish. In short, fresh fish should have shiny eyes, pink gills, and a springy body that does not leave any dents when pressed.

A good frozen product is one that has not been re-frozen. Most often, hake goes on sale frozen, since when fresh it quickly loses its taste. Since even frozen hake dries out very quickly, as a rule, after any freezing method, the carcass is glazed with a thin ball of ice. If the fish is too light for its size, this means that, most likely, almost all the liquid from the meat has already evaporated. It is better not to take such fish; when finished, its fillet will be dry and tasteless. Fish that is too heavy is a sign of excessive glazing, which will affect not only the cost of the carcass, but also its taste.

White bread (can be replaced with unsweetened bread). Add a little fried onion, salt, pepper to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Form cutlets from the resulting minced meat, roll them in breadcrumbs and fry for 1-2 minutes until a crust forms. Then transfer the cutlets into a heat-resistant form, add 2-3 slices of butter and place in the oven for a few minutes. Serve with butter or bechamel sauce.

The next time hake appears on the dinner table, you will already know how healthy this fish is. And you might even want some extra! The main thing is not to forget that overeating is just as bad as not eating enough healthy food. After all, what they say is true: everything is good in moderation.

Merluza, or hake, is a bottom-dwelling fish belonging to the Merlucciidae family. Representatives of this genus are widespread in the waters of the continental plume of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. All types of hake are valuable fisheries. The total annual catch of this fish exceeds 1.5 million tons.

Fresh hake meat is highly prized in cooking due to its low fat content and small number of bones. Headless and gutted carcasses of this fish are fried, stewed, boiled and baked in ovens. In addition, soups, cutlets, salads and baking fillings are prepared using hake fillet. Part of the meat is used to make fishmeal.

Appearance

Hake has a purulent body covered with thin and small cycloid scales. The back of representatives of this genus is dark gray, the sides are silvery, and the belly is almost white. The fins of the hake (caudal, two dorsal, anal and pectoral) are painted black. There is an almost continuous dark gray lateral line on the body of the fish.

Merluza has a large head (up to 1/3 of the body length) with an elongated and flattened snout. The iris of the fish's eyes is golden, the pupil is black. The lower jaw of the hake is slightly longer than the upper. The barbel on the chin of the fish is missing. Sharp and well-developed teeth on both jaws are arranged in two rows.

Hake is a relatively large fish. The body length of an adult varies between 30–130 cm. The weight of representatives of this genus can reach 5.5 kg.

Nutritional value

100 g of hake fillet contains:

16.574 g proteins;
2.155 g fat;
79.849 g water;
1.114 g ash;
69.412 mg cholesterol.

Merluza is rich in nonessential and essential amino acids. In addition, the product contains fatty acids (0.409 g of omega-3 and 0.038 g of omega-6 per 100 g of the edible part of the product).

Vitamins in fish

100 g of hake meat contains the following vitamins:

retinol equivalent, A - 9.991 mcg;
beta-carotene - 0.009 mg;
thiamine, B1 - 0.123 mg;
riboflavin, B2 - 0.084 mg;
pyridoxine, B6 - 0.092 mg;
folic acid, B9 - 11.067 mcg;
cobalamin, B12 - 2.314 mcg;
ascorbic acid, C - 0.438 mg;
tocopherol equivalent, E - 0.394 mg;
niacin, PP - 4.296 mg.

Along with this, hake contains such rare vitamins as calciferol (1.434 mcg per 100 g) and biotin (0.994 mcg per 100 g).

Useful elements

Macroelements in 100 g of hake:

potassium - 334.572 mg;
calcium - 29.016 mg;
magnesium - 34.519 mg;
sodium - 76.014 mg;
sulfur - 199.116 mg;
phosphorus - 241.518 mg;
chlorine - 166.773 mg.

Microelements in 100 g of hake:

iron - 0.697 mg;
iodine - 161.737 mcg;
cobalt - 19.043 mcg;
manganese - 0.121 mg;
copper - 136.122 mcg;
molybdenum - 4.064 mcg;
nickel - 6.224 mcg;
fluorine - 701.002 mcg;
chromium - 56.096 mcg;
zinc - 0.878 mg.

Video recipe for the occasion:

Hake calorie content

100 g of raw hake fillet contains 86.002 kcal. Energy value a similar portion of boiled hake meat - 84.203 kcal, fried - 149.437 kcal, baked - 92.316 kcal, stewed - 89.077 kcal. Calorie content of hake cutlets is 196.407 kcal per 100 g.

Hake fish belongs to the cod family. This type of fish is very popular among all peoples of the world, and is also famous for its delicious dietary meat. Habitat: Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Hake fish, or hake, as it is also called, lives on the bottom, rising to the surface exclusively for prey.

Depending on its habitat, hake fish can have a size ranging from thirty centimeters to 1.5 meters. Young hake feeds mainly on plankton, and when it grows, it becomes a predator and devours small schooling fish.

At the moment, there are many companies that breed hake fish both in artificial conditions and in the wild. Fish are caught using special devices called bottom trawls.

Hake fish is sold both frozen and fresh. It is preferable to buy fresh fish, since frozen fish can go through several stages of freezing and thawing, as a result of which it will lose most of its taste.

This type of fish can be divided into two more large subspecies: silver and Pacific hake.

The maximum length of the silver hake reaches 73 centimeters, and its weight is two and a half kilograms. This fish supposedly lives off the coast of North America, as well as South Carolina. It is mined at a depth of fifty to nine hundred meters. Silver hake migrate depending on the time of year, and begin to spawn in May.
Pacific hake can reach ninety centimeters in length, but most often fishermen catch fish up to forty centimeters long. It lives off the coast of California and Vancouver. It begins to spawn in January at a depth of about two hundred meters.

When buying frozen hake fish in a store, be sure to pay attention to the ice crust: it should not be too thick and broken. If you notice cracks in the ice crust, it means the fish has been defrosted and re-frozen. It is better to go to another store if you want to buy tasty and high-quality fish.

How to cook hake fish?

There are many ways to prepare hake fish in various ways, starting with baking and ending with stewing in a slow cooker. There are a large number of recipes for preparing delicious hake fish dishes that any housewife can make at home. We will tell you about the simplest and most popular ways of cooking hake fish.

One of the most popular and fastest options for preparing hake is baking in the oven. At the same time, you can rub the fish with any spices, pour over the sauce, bake in foil or in a sleeve with or without vegetables. Along with hake, you can bake other types of fish, for example, pollock or mackerel.
You can fish fry in a frying pan along with potatoes, carrots or onions. At the same time, fried hake will go perfectly with sour cream or tomato sauce. In addition, it will be very tasty if you fry the hake in batter, to which you must add a little lemon juice.
Stew hake fish You can do it either in a deep frying pan or using a slow cooker. If you have this kitchen gadget, it will make your cooking process much easier. Stewed fish is suitable for consumption by both adults and children.
This product can be cook in a regular saucepan. You can also easily make fish soup or fish soup from boiled hake. Among other things, you can try steaming the fish. In this case, it will turn out more juicy and fatty, and will not lose its positive qualities.
Hake dishes include: fish cutlets, which are prepared from fillet. They come out tender and you and your family will love the taste. You can even add some rice and make delicious fish meatballs in tomato sauce.
Fish pies– these are also very tasty dishes. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you love this kind of food, be sure to treat yourself to this delicious treat.

Because this type fish is not bony, hake can be used for cooking huge amount variety of dishes. You can even pickle it or pickle it yourself. Home-salted hake with butter and spices will please everyone who tries it.

Korean hake fish will easily become one of delicious dishes on the festive table! You can add any of your favorite seasonings to your food, but don't overdo it! Otherwise, the dish will taste only of spices.

The calorie content of hake fish is low, but in combination with other products, and also depending on the cooking method, it can vary. One way or another, many nutritionists note that hake is suitable for dietary nutrition if you do not fry it in oil, but stew or steam it.

Benefits and harms

Absolutely any product can cause benefit and harm if you neglect the rules for its use. . Hake fish, although it is a product with a high content of Omega-3 acids, its liver and fillet can provoke an allergic reaction in people with individual intolerance to the product. The product also contains a fairly large amount of iron, and if there is an excess of it in the body, constipation can occur. Therefore, hake should be consumed in reasonable quantities.

If you have gastritis or an ulcer, eating fish dishes is completely contraindicated. Hake can increase stomach acidity, which will only worsen illnesses.

Now we can move on to the good news. Despite the fact that hake fish can be harmful if consumed incorrectly, it also has positive properties. It is enough just to follow the contraindications. Well, the benefits of hake are as follows::

problems with the endocrine system and hormonal imbalances - indications for eating fish, as well as for including it in the daily diet;
if you eat hake fish regularly, you can quickly compensate for iodine deficiency in the body;
vitamins and microelements contained in fish help prevent nervous system disorders and get rid of insomnia;
hake fillet and caviar help lower blood sugar, so they are useful for people with diabetes;

Having properly prepared delicious hake fish, you can easily treat it to children, pregnant women, as well as your friends and loved ones. Your family will surely enjoy this treat, so learn a few recipes that you can follow to prepare delicious fish dishes.

The benefits and harms of which will be discussed in this article relate to marine predators of the hake family of the cod order. And to people who are far from classifying biological species, this inhabitant of the oceans is known for its accessibility. Thanks to the huge population of hake, this commercial fish is sold everywhere and at fairly low prices. Therefore, hake is a frequent guest on the tables of all people, no matter how far from the sea coast they live. True, this fish reaches the interior of the mainland already frozen. But by the way, fresh hake quickly deteriorates and loses its smell. Therefore, after catching, the carcasses are subjected to so that the fish does not lose its beneficial properties. And there are many of them. To get acquainted with them, as well as find out what health hazards hake poses, read this article.

Pollock's main rival

Most frozen fish buyers are unlikely to know the difference between these two types. And it is obvious. Pollock is ahead of hake in only one thing: its price is even more affordable for the budget buyer. However, gourmets consider the hero of this article to be more tasty and juicy. In culinary terms, hake is also preferable to pollock. This fish is easy to cut and clean, and the bones seem to want to jump out of the carcass. Hake does not fall apart in a frying pan like pollock, does not dry out in the oven, it can be stewed, boiled... What’s up: you can even dedicate an entire cookbook to this fish. In defense of pollock, we can only say that its liver is an exquisite delicacy, rich in vitamin A. But hake fish is richer in nutritious proteins and microelements. The benefits and harms of this food product will be discussed below. For now, let's say that hake lives in salty oceans. Sometimes there are individuals one and a half meters long, but for industrial catches, fish of thirty to forty centimeters are more preferable. Both carcasses and cut fillets are available for sale.

Hake fish: benefits and harm

The main distinguishing feature of this marine inhabitant is its easy digestibility by the body. Therefore, even small children can eat hake. This fish contains only eighty-six calories. An ideal dietary food product! The meat of this fish is chock-full of useful microelements. These are phosphorus, iodine, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, fluorine and others. Of the vitamins, hake contains A, the entire line of B, C, E and PP. You will be surprised, but this budget product contains a sufficient amount of unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3.

Who should eat hake fish? The benefits and harms of a product are determined by its composition. First of all, steamed hake should be a frequent dish for those who have endocrine disorders. A large amount of iodine is beneficial for the thyroid gland. Diabetics should also enjoy hake more often, because its fillet and caviar reduce sugar levels. Fish will become a medicine for disorders of the nervous system. But who should refrain from frequent consumption of hake are people with increased acidity stomach, as well as for those who suffer from constipation. And don’t forget: anything can cause an allergic reaction.

How to choose a carcass, how to cook it?

Hake is sold frozen. But unscrupulous sellers play such a trick with this fish. They repeatedly bring it to room temperature and then freeze it again. As a result, moisture is absorbed into the fibers, and the hake becomes almost twice as heavy. When choosing a carcass, you should focus on a reasonable ratio of its size and weight. Because when frozen repeatedly, meat becomes like structureless and flabby tastelessness. But the fish must still be covered with ice glaze, otherwise after heat treatment it will come out dry, tasteless and odorless. What dishes and how to cook? Due to the ease of filleting, hake is ideal for fish cutlets. The minced meat from it turns out tender. When boiled (steamed or in water), hake is served with some kind of rich sauce.

Stew the fish

Cut the cooked hake carcass into portions. Sprinkle with seasoning and leave for a quarter of an hour. In another bowl, make the sauce. Pour in a glass of sour cream and milk, add two eggs. Salt and season with pepper. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan with high sides or into a saucepan. Roll the hake in flour and fry for ten minutes. Then turn the fish over and add finely chopped onion (to taste). Fry for another seven minutes. Then pour in the sauce, reduce the heat, cover the saucepan/pan. In an hour you will have a delicious hake. Serve mashed potatoes as a side dish.

Frying fish

Due to excess moisture in defrosted hake, it can behave like a firecracker in a frying pan: it will begin to hiss and shoot hot fat. To prevent this from happening, you need to take care to roll the fish into a “shell” - batter. To do this, mix an egg with a glass of milk. Add a tablespoon of flour and starch, aromatic herbs, and salt. Let's stir. Add a spoonful of vodka to make the batter more airy. Place the frying pan on the fire and pour in a fairly large amount vegetable oil. Dip the cut fish in flour. Then, pricking a piece on a fork, dip it in batter and place it in the deep fryer. The fish should lie on paper towels for a while to drain off excess fat.