Basque Country · Spain
Merluza en Salsa Verde
Hake in green sauce, also known as merluza a la vasca, is a signature of Basque home and restaurant cooking. The 'green sauce' is built from olive oil, garlic, parsley and fish stock thickened with flour, often finished with clams, peas or asparagus.
Approximate, per 1 hake portion (~250g). Values vary by recipe and portion.
Where it comes from
Hake in green sauce, also known as merluza a la vasca, is a signature of Basque home and restaurant cooking. The 'green sauce' is built from olive oil, garlic, parsley and fish stock thickened with flour, often finished with clams, peas or asparagus. Hake is the most beloved fish in the Basque Country, making this one of the region's most emblematic everyday dishes.
Where to eat Merluza en Salsa Verde
0 restaurants worldwide serve it.
The variants
A la vasca
Enriched version with clams, hard-boiled egg, asparagus and peas.
Con almejas
Simpler take with just clams opened in the green sauce.
Kokotxas en salsa verde
Made with hake throat morsels for a gelatinous, delicate texture.
Merluza a la sidra
Asturian variant using cider in place of wine and stock.
Cook it yourself
- Merluza en Salsa Verde
Hake in green sauce is a cornerstone of Basque cooking, its emulsion of olive oil, garlic and parsley built by gently shaking the pan rather than stirring. Delicate and elegant, it often gains clams, peas or asparagus to make a whole meal.