Baked Fish

Hey folks, gather ’round for a slice of our neighborhood tales! It’s like just yesterday when my hubby and I reveled in the joys of tucking our little ones into bed, eagerly anticipating our own night out. Fast forward, and here we are, with a teenage daughter and a legally adult second one. Now, they’re the ones ushering us into dreamland before hitting the town.

Our eldest is spreading her wings a bit, navigating the world solo. Meanwhile, the youngest is still under the no-cab-alone rule. So, when she’s out, we’re either stationed at home, ready to pick her up, or hanging with our awesome neighbors who, I must say, are more like family now. Shoutout to Rania and Alain – they’ve been our partners in crime through countless celebrations, from Easter to Christmas to graduation and birthdays. We’ve even lost count of the wine bottles during our weekly dinner gatherings.

Tonight’s rendezvous is set for 8:30, featuring some baked fish and roasted cauliflower. Time to detox from all the cheese and raclette bingeing since Christmas – gotta keep it healthy, you know?

Speaking of fish, my go-to is SEA BREAM. Its mild, white meat is a winner for me. Found in various corners of the globe, it’s perfect for grilling. A decent-sized one, around 400gms, can be thrown on the grill whole – head and all.

My cooking mantra for this beauty? Keep it simple. A sprinkle of salt and pepper, some sliced onions and tomatoes for stuffing, lay it in a baking pan with lemon wedges and aromatic leaves, drizzle some oil, and voila! Pop it in the oven for 45-50 minutes, and you’ve got yourself a tasty treat. Who says healthy can’t be delicious? Cheers to good food and great company!

Ingredients

• 2kg / 3-4 fresh Sea Bream fish (cleaned, gutted and scaled)
• Sea Salt and coarse pepper
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 onion, cut in circles
• 2 large tomatoes, cut in circles
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 10-12 Basil leaves
• Olive oil, to drizzle
• 1/2 cup of White Wine
• Kumquat (Optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C
2. Wash fish, pat dry and place in oven dish.
3. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper over all parts of the fish and inside the body cavity.
4. Fill in and surround with zest, onions, tomatoes, lemon slices, rosemary and basil. Drizzle with olive oil.
5. Pour the wine inside the pan and cook for about 50mn or until fish flakes easily with a fork.