Baked sea bass
Instructions:
- To scale the fish, run the back of a knife firmly along the length of the body from tail to head.
- Cut the fins away from the body using kitchen scissors.
- Still using the scissors, cut along the belly from the small opening near the tail to just under the head.
- Remove the insides using your hands or a spoon, then rinse under cold water to remove any blood.
- Remove the gills and cut off the tail. Make three deep cuts along the body of the fish on both sides.
- Preheat the oven 350 F. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices about 1⁄2 inch thick.
- Cut the tomatoes into slices 1⁄4 inch thick.
- Thinly slice the onion.
- Coarsely crush the whole garlic cloves, leaving the skins on.
- Pour a little oil into a large roasting pan. Spread half of the potato in the pan, then half of the tomato and half of the onion.
- Season with salt and pepper. Repeat the layers of potato, tomato and onion. Scatter the garlic and herbs. Pour over most of the remaining oil. Cover the pan with foil, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Season the sea bass inside and out. Remove the foil from the pan and put the fish on top of the vegetables. Turn the oven up to 375 F.
- Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, for 12 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily from the back bone.
- Finish with a little more olive oil and a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
- Makes 2 servings