Matt Price is a fisherman. I have the utmost respect for fishermen, full stop. But Matt is also a bit of a legend insomuch that he’s also a top cook, and when I say ‘top cook,’ the guy can turn out incredible seafood dishes from a galley that’s no more 2m x 2m (literally). Add to that a pitching, rolling swell and limited access to normal kitchen requisites, the food that Pricey turns out for his shipmates, day after day and after his duties on deck as First Mate, is awesome and really does it for me. .

I first met Matt when I went aboard the ‘Ajax’ for a hake netting trip in 2017, to write an article for Country Life magazine. It was only a short trip - 5 days fishing the Western Approaches, 40 miles North of the Scillies in the Celtic Sea. However, a defining moment for me, as I got to witness and be involved in the running of a commercial fishing vessel following the story of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accredited hake from ‘net to plate’.

Aboard the Ajax, I was treated to some of the freshest fish that I’ve been privileged to consume - whole megrim on the bone for breakfast, monkfish Provençal and of course hake served a variety ways straight from the galley. For a seafood obsessive like myself, probably the nirvana that I’ve been searching for!

So with more than a nod to Pricey and his outstanding gift for feeding people miles out to sea, here’s his Hake, Bacon and Potato Bake - or rather my version of it, where I’ve included a few leeks and guessed quite a lot, so he won’t sue me for plagiarism ;-)

Hake Bacon Leek & Potato Bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g MSC Cornish Hake loin

300g waxy potatoes e.g Desiree (thick sliced)

4 rashers smoked streaky bacon (diced) (or pancetta)

1 large brown onion (finely chopped)

2 leeks (sliced)

250g butter

250ml full fat milk

1 litre of fish stock (preferably made from the hake frame/head)

1 tbsp plain flour

A little cornflour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season.

Smoked paprika for dusting.

Method

First slice the hake loin into bite size chunks and brown on a high heat. Remove skin (if still on) and set aside.

Fry the bacon/pancetta until crispy and drain. In the same pan add a little butter and season and sauté first the chopped onion and the leeks until soft, but not burnt.

Parboil the potatoes and drain.

Make a basic roux with the butter and milk and then thin to a sauce with the fish stock, until smooth but not runny. Add the Dijon mustard and chopped parsley, whisk in and add a little cornflour to thicken back if necessary.

Now incorporate the leeks, onion, bacon and hake with the sauce. Season again with black pepper. Spoon the mixture into a baking dish and arrange the sliced parboiled potatoes on top. Brush with melted butter and dust with black pepper and a little smoked paprika.

Bake the mixture at 180C for 15 -20 mins and finish off under a hot grill to colour the potato crust.

Serve with a dressed green salad and chunks of crusty French bread.

Magnifique……