Baked Sea Bream On A Bed Of Potatoes And Pecorino Recipes

ORATA AL FORNO (BAKED SEA BREAM WITH POTATOES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven (430 F, 220 C).
• Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice them (about 1/4 inch thick).
• Mix the potato slices with as less olive oil as possible. They should only be coated and not soaked. Arrange the slices on an oven-proofed dish, so that later the fish could be placed on them. Salt them to taste with salt and a little pepper.
• Put them in the oven and bake them covered with aluminium foil for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare and clean fish. Wash and pat dry. Remove pectoral and ventral fins.
• Sprinkle some salt into stomach cavity. Put two slices of lemon, a few slices of garlic and one sprig rosmary into cavity. Brush on both sides with a little olive oil.
• After 15 minutes take potatoes out of the oven and sprinkle with slices of green onions and the rest of garlic.
• Place fish on the potatoes. Sprinkle with some salt and put back in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until fish is done (Fish is done when the dorsal fin can easily be removed).
• If the fish gets to dry while baking, brush with a little olive oil.
• When fish is done take out of the oven and sprinkle with parsley and serve hot with additional slices of lemon.
• NOTE: Serve fish as a whole or fillet prior to serving.

OVEN-BAKED SEA BREAM AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Dice the tomatoes
• Bring water in a pot to boil, in the meantime prepare the potatoes
• Cut the potatoes to about 1/4-inch thick, toss into the hot water to boil for on high heat for 8 minutes, or until almost soft enough for you to piece through without difficulty. While that boils, prepare the infused oil.
• Heat a saucepan on medium heat then add in the olive oil, toss in the cloves of garlic, and let infuse for about 2 minutes. (The oil should not reach the smoking point and the garlic should not brown). If the garlic starts to brown, take them out, reduce the heat and put 2 fresh garlic cloves until the 2 minutes are through.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F
• Pour 1/4 of the infused olive oil onto the baking dish
• Drain the potatoes and lay them flat in the baking dish. If there are any leftovers with no space to lay them, you can put them against the sides of the dish
• Evenly spread 1/2 of the diced tomatoes, black peppercorns, and parsley over the potatoes. Sprinkle some salt, not too much as you will also salt the fish
• Lay the fish fillet on a kitchen paper towel and press to soak in excess water. Transfer them over the potatoes, lay them side by side, skin side down.
• Top the fish with the leftover: tomatoes, peppercorns, parsley. Pour in the wine and finish by pouring the infused oil evenly over the fish.
• Bake in the middle oven rack, If during the 30 minutes baking the fish looks a little dry, scoop some of the juices settled on the potatoes to drizzle over the fish.
• After 30 minutes, melt a knob of butter over the fish then put it back in the oven for browning. Take it out after 5 minutes.
• Once the fish is out of the oven, squeeze some fresh lemon on it and serve.

BAKED SEA BREAM WITH TOMATOES & CORIANDER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slice the potatoes thinly, put in a large saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to the boil and drain, then lay onto the base of a lightly oiled large baking tray. Scatter over the garlic, chilli, saffron and a little of the coriander.
• Slash the fish through the flesh down to the bone - this allows it to cook evenly and quicker than normal. Season and rub with the olive oil. Lay the fish on the potatoes and top with the lime juice, wine, tomatoes and pine nuts. Lay the pancetta slices over the fish and bake for 20-25 mins or until the fish is cooked through. Check by pulling out one of the fins on the back, it should come away easily. Serve the fish scattered with the remaining coriander.