by Elisabeth Duckeck
When I put together my weekly meal plan, I make sure that we eat fish at least once a week. Whether you are hosting a dinner for two or looking for a nutritious recipe, this easy-to-follow oven dish delivers flavors with minimal effort.
Regular fish consumption is an important part of a healthy diet. Depending on the type of fish, it is an important source of Omega 3 fatty acids, iodine and vitamin D.
The right sauce for the right fish dish
The perfect sauce to complement a dish with fish can elevate from simple to extraordinary. While classics like lemon-butter, dill-mustard, tangy remoulade, or a fresh salsa verde are always great choices, the variety of flavors to explore is endless.
In Greece, for example, a simple fish dish such as sea bream is served with a simple sauce made from lemon juice and olive oil (ladolemono / λαδολέμονο).
This dish features a simple yet incredibly tasty fish sauce that strikes the perfect balance of flavor without overshadowing the fresh catch. It’s quick to prepare and guaranteed to impress—try it out and see for yourself!
Cooking tip: alternative fish
If you can’t find sea bass, you can also use gilthead seabream. I’ve tried both, and seabream works perfectly fine. The only difference is that sea bass has small, fine bones which can be a bit annoying. Gilthead seabream, depending on its size, has larger bones that are easier to spot while eating. As with all fish: be careful not to swallow any bones.
Last but not least:
In recent years, there has been much discussion about not placing aluminum foil directly on food being cooked. The main reason for this is that aluminum ions can leach from the foil into the food under certain conditions. While our bodies can excrete small amounts of aluminum through the kidneys, the metal accumulates in bones and organs if intake is consistently too high.
This applies especially to foods with a high acid or salt content and high temperatures during cooking or baking.
For this reason, the baking sheet in this recipe is covered with parchment paper and aluminum foil. By sealing the tray with parchment paper and foil, the fish steams to perfection and the vegetables cook evenly without burning from the oven’s heat. You might even find aluminum foil already coated with baking paper in your local supermarket.
Oven Baked Sea Bass with Vegetables
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet / tray
- 1 Frying pan / skillet
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 measuring cup
- 1 Parchment paper
- Aluminum foil
- 1 food thermometer
What you need
- 250 gr (9 oz) potatoes
- 2 large carrots
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 onion
- 200 gr (7 oz) fresh broccoli florets
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 whole gutted sea bass or seabream
- ½ lemon
- 2 fresh rosemary springs
- 7 Tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
- 150 ml (5 fl. oz) dry white wine
- 100 ml (3.5 fl oz) water
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tsp honey
- ½ tsp thyme
- some pepper
How to prepare
Vegetable & Base Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).
- Heat a dry frying pan on the highest setting.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them in half, and slice them thinly.
- Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the hot pan and sauté the potatoes over medium heat until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
- Halve the zucchini lengthwise, peel the carrots, and slice both thinly.
- Transfer the sautéed potatoes from the pan onto a baking sheet large enough to comfortably fit the fish.
- Heat another 2 tbsp of olive oil in the same pan and sauté the zucchini and carrots until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, then add them to the potatoes on the baking sheet.
- Peel the onions, cut them in half, and slice into strips. Mince the garlic. Add both to the vegetables on the tray, sprinkle the thyme over everything, and toss well to combine.
Fish Preparation & Baking
- Slice the lemon into roughly 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) thick rounds.
- Clean the fish, season the cavity with salt, and stuff each with 2 lemon slices and 1 sprig of thyme. Season the outside of the fish with salt and arrange them on top of the vegetables. Drizzle the surface of the fish with the remaining olive oil.
- Cover the baking sheet first with baking paper, then with aluminum foil, crimping the edges tightly to seal.
- Bake on the top rack of the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and paper cover and bake for another 10 minutes. The fish is done when it reaches a core temperature of 67°C (153°F).
Sauce Preparation
- Heat the white wine in a frying pan and let it simmer until the alcohol has evaporated.
- Mix the water with the lemon juice and cornstarch, then add the mixture to the wine and bring to a boil.
- Crumble the bouillon cube and add it to the liquid. Stir in the thyme and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened.
- Finally, season to taste with honey and pepper. Fillet the baked fish and pour the sauce over the top before serving.
Notes
Loved this sea bass recipe? Find the perfect dessert of a chocolate tart with blueberries and follow this link to Sweet Stuff
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