Spanish Baked Fish with Lemon and Herbs Recipe
This simple baked fish dish recalls seaside lunches in small Spanish towns, where fresh fish goes straight from the market into the oven. The delicate flesh bakes on a bed of vegetables, while lemon and olive oil give it a fresh Mediterranean character. The taste is similar to Italian pesce al forno, but with more olive oil and garlic.
The fish bakes directly on a bed of vegetables, which soak up the juices, olive oil and lemon, creating a complete one-dish meal with minimal effort. The method is inspired by simple Spanish coastal cooking, where freshness and good olive oil do most of the work.
Chef's tips
Use the freshest fish you can find – the recipe is very simple, so the quality of the fish and olive oil really shows. Slice the potatoes thinly and evenly so they cook through in the same time as the fish. If your fillets are very thick, you can start baking the vegetables a few minutes longer before adding the fish, or cut the fillets into smaller pieces.
How to serve
Serve straight from the baking dish at the table, with extra lemon wedges on the side. A crusty baguette or rustic bread is perfect for soaking up the juices. Pair with a crisp green salad or a tomato and red onion salad dressed with olive oil and a splash of vinegar.
Ingredients
- white fish fillet e.g. cod, hake, pollock, skinless or with skin - 800 g
- potatoes peeled - 500 g
- zucchini medium - 1 piece
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- lemon unwaxed, as you will also use the zest - 1 piece
- olive oil - 4 tablespoons
- thyme dried leaves or a few sprigs of fresh - 1 teaspoon
- parsley fresh, chopped - 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
- Cut the potatoes into thin slices (about 3–4 mm). Wash the zucchini and slice it to a similar thickness. Peel the onion and cut into thin wedges. Peel the garlic and slice it thinly.
- Spread the potatoes over the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange the zucchini, onion and garlic on top of the potatoes. Lightly season with salt and pepper again.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes so the vegetables start to soften.
- In the meantime, pat the fish dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt, pepper and thyme.
- Scald the lemon with boiling water and dry it. Finely grate the zest (only the yellow part), then squeeze out the juice.
- After 15 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and take off the foil. Lay the fish fillets on top of the vegetables. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half of the lemon juice. Sprinkle with the grated lemon zest.
- Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for another 10–12 minutes, until the fish turns opaque, flakes easily under gentle pressure from a fork, and the potatoes are tender.
- After removing from the oven, sprinkle the dish with fresh parsley and drizzle with the remaining lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those recipes that feels like a holiday by the sea, even if you are cooking on a busy weekday. Once the vegetables are sliced, the oven does the rest, and you get a light but comforting meal with very little washing up.
