Whole Baked Sea Bass with Garlic and Oregano Potatoes

Cooking a whole fish is not something I have ever really done in this country but with more and more supermarkets offering them, I decided to give it a go!

I prepared this dish as the main course for a dinner party at the weekend and I have to say I was really pleased with the results. It was incredibly easy to make and the fish was cooked to perfection. The flavourings are simple – garlic, lemon and oregano with a little anchovy for saltiness. The potatoes soak up all the cooking juices whilst remaining crispy around the edges – to die for!

Whole Baked Sea Bass with Garlic and Oregano Potatoes

Serves 4

1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced

3 bay leaves, roughly chopped

4 whole seabass (approx. 200g each)

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

8 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped

2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced and 1 juiced

6 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. dried oregano

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

Whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and some pepper, then stir in the oregano.

Put the potatoes into a large roasting tin in which the fish can lay either lengthways or diagonally. Add 6 tablespoons of the dressing, the sliced garlic, bay leaves, anchovies and toss together well. Spread out in an even layer and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

While this is cooking, stuff the fish with the lemon slices. Brush the outside of the fish with a little of the remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Place the fish on top of the potatoes (I had to cut the tails off mine with scissors so they would fit!) and pour any remaining dressing over the top. Return the roasting tin to the oven and roast for another 35 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Serve hot.