Whole baked Sea Bass on roasted potatoes Istrian Recipe
Whole baked sea bass on a layer of potatoes is very simple, easy, and healthy recipe for oven-roasted fish that calls for only a few fresh simple ingredients, and it is a perfect choice for a light meal main course option. This delicate fish, baked whole in the oven, is effortless to make, flavoursome and never fails to impress your guests. The recipe gives you a superior taste, the flesh remains really tender and moist and the potatoes, during the baking, absorb all the wonderful flavours and aromas from the garlic, onions, olive oil and the juices from the fish.
This basic method of roasting the whole fish on the bone on a bed of sliced potatoes represents the most common and traditional way of preparing and eating fish along the Slovenian coast in restaurants as well as in the households. It is considered one of the best fish based recipes by the locals, very often made on Sundays as a Sunday roast choice, and as a alternative to a meat roast.
I am sharing here my family recipe for whole baked sea bass with potatoes that would traditionally be accompanied by a vegetable side dish such as (depending on what is available in the season) sautéed courgettes, peas or bell peppers, green beans with tomatoes, borlotti beans salad, creamed spinach, braised fennel and different types of seasonal salads, just to mention a few...
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 fresh whole sea bass (each weighing around 300g), cleaned, scaled and gutted (your fishmonger will be happy to do this for you)
potatoes (about 800g), peeled and sliced (roughly3-5mm)
1 small onion (about 50g), peeled and very finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary (small enough to fit into the body cavity of the fish)
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus some extra for drizzling)
sea salt
black pepper
100ml white wine, fish stock or water (I used a ¼ Tsp of dry granulated fish powder and dissolved it into a 100ml of hot water)
fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving, optional
fresh lemon, for serving, optional
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C static or equivalent.
Line a baking tray with non stick baking parchment.
Peel the potatoes and cut them with the knife or a mandolin slicer into slices the thickness of about 3-5mm.
Place sliced potatoes into a bowl and add finely chopped onions, sliced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, season with sea salt and black pepper and mix well.
Transfer the potato mixture onto a baking tray and with your hands arrange them, distribute evenly more or less, into a single layer (they will overlap a bit).
Put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking prepare the fish.
Wash the fish thoroughly inside and out under cold running water and pat dry well the fish with the kitchen paper.
With a sharp knife, slash the fish 3 to 5 times through the flesh, about 5mm deep, almost to the bone.
Season with sea salt and black pepper and put a small sprig of fresh rosemary into the body cavity of each fish.
Take the potatoes out of the oven (after 15-20 minutes) and place the sea bass on top of the potatoes, side by side, scored side up and drizzle each fish with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
Cover the baking tray with the aluminium foil, put it back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the aluminium foil and bake further for 10 minutes.
Pour white wine, fish stock or water over the fish and potatoes and bake further for about 5-6 minutes.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Just a thought
If you end up with a leftover baked sea bass, it is delecious eaten cold or at a room temeprature with a drizzle of olive oil and finely chopped fresh flat parsley and accompanied with some cruncy bread, or alternatively you can make a fish spread (see my recipe for Rustic Sea Bream spread)
