Fish
Garlic Butter Fish with Crushed Potatoes
Garlic-butter fish pairs moist white fish with roughly crushed potatoes that catch the lemony pan sauce. The potatoes retain small pieces rather than becoming…
Fish
Mediterranean Baked Sea Bass
Whole baked sea bass sits over potatoes, fennel and tomatoes with olives and lemon. The vegetables need a head start because they cook more slowly than the fish. The goal is moist, gently flaking fish above tender vegetables with concentrated roasting juices.
Home Cook View
Follow the measured ingredients, numbered method, substitutions, safety notes and cooking mode below.
Professional Kitchen View
Standard Yield4 servings
Professional Chef Notes
Ask for fish that is scaled and gutted, then check the cavity and remaining scales. Slice potatoes thinly and evenly. Olives and fish juices season the tray, so avoid oversalting the vegetables at the beginning.
Pre-cook the potato-fennel base as directed before adding the fish. Bake until the thickest flesh reaches 63°C, or is opaque and flakes readily, without letting the tray dry out. Use clean utensils to lift the cooked fish from the bones.
Hard potatoes beside overcooked fish indicate insufficient vegetable preparation. If the tray becomes dry, add a small amount of hot water at the edge. A cooked whole fish still contains bones, including fine pin bones.
About This Recipe
Whole baked sea bass sits over potatoes, fennel and tomatoes with olives and lemon. The vegetables need a head start because they cook more slowly than the fish. The goal is moist, gently flaking fish above tender vegetables with concentrated roasting juices.
Before You Start
1. Read firstRead every step once before switching on the cooker.
2. MeasureWeigh and prepare all ingredients in the order listed.
3. Control heatLow means a gentle bubble, medium cooks steadily, and high is for quick browning.
4. Check donenessUse the texture, timing and safe-temperature checks written in the method.
Equipment
- ✓ Large roasting dish
- ✓ Foil
- ✓ Fish spatula
- ✓ Food thermometer
Ingredients
Easy Step-by-Step Method
Complete one numbered step before moving to the next. Keep the heat and timing exactly as written.
- Start the vegetables: Heat oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan. Toss potatoes and fennel with half the oil, half the salt, oregano and water in a roasting dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
- Prepare fish: Pat the cleaned fish dry. Season inside and out with remaining salt and pepper and put lemon slices and half the garlic in the cavities.
- Assemble: Uncover the vegetables and add tomatoes, olives and remaining garlic. Lay fish on top and drizzle with remaining oil.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 20–30 minutes, depending on thickness, until the thickest flesh reaches 63°C and separates easily. Potatoes should be tender.
- Finish: Add juice from the remaining lemon half and parsley.
- Serve carefully: Lift fillets away from the backbone and check for small bones before serving with the vegetables.
Chef Notes & Tips
A whole fish is not the same weight as edible fillets. The yield is approximate; check carefully for bones when portioning.
Ingredient choices: Ask for fish that is scaled and gutted, then check the cavity and remaining scales. Slice potatoes thinly and evenly. Olives and fish juices season the tray, so avoid oversalting the vegetables at the beginning.
Cooking control: Pre-cook the potato-fennel base as directed before adding the fish. Bake until the thickest flesh reaches 63°C, or is opaque and flakes readily, without letting the tray dry out. Use clean utensils to lift the cooked fish from the bones.
If something goes wrong: Hard potatoes beside overcooked fish indicate insufficient vegetable preparation. If the tray becomes dry, add a small amount of hot water at the edge. A cooked whole fish still contains bones, including fine pin bones.
Ingredient Substitutions
- ↔ Sea bass → sea bream of similar size
- ↔ Fennel → extra onion
- ↔ Olives → capers, using less salt
Food Safety & Doneness
Keep raw fish refrigerated and check for bones. Cook fish to at least 63°C in the thickest part. Keep raw-fish tools separate from ready-to-eat garnishes.
Serving & Plating
Present whole if desired, then carefully portion the flesh with vegetables and juices. Tell diners to check for bones even after filleting.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly in shallow covered containers at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed to at least 74°C throughout. Discard food left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C.
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