When we get whole fish this is the what my family usually do with it. Sea bass is a delicate fish and the aromatic parsley filling suits it perfectly. In addition I have also made a tomato sauce with it. A perfect meal!
I actually made this meal just before I started amaltesemouthful.com. I just hadn’t got around to posting it. the ingredients are very simple and easy to find but they really do enhance the flavour of the fish beautifully. As I am in Dublin for the week and haven’t been able to cook, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to post it. I also don’t have many fish recipes posted so far. I think I need to start cooking fish more often. Many more seafood recipes to come down the track…
The types of fish available vary in Malta to other countries but some are the same. I still remember the words lampuki and bonito mentioned in my house. Bream, flathead, shark, tuna where common encounters in our house in Sydney. I need to investigate the fish of Malta more. Swordfish, octopus, grouper, tuna were some of the many fish I saw in Malta in the markets at Marsaxlokk.
We made soup out of all the other different type of rock fish which were not suitable to bake or fry. I will have to make this sometime. I also remember finding an eel which my dad had caught discarded. My mum refused to cook it. A bit of a waste but to be honest I couldn’t blame her. I have had fresh eel sashimi since. How we change. My dad was not one for waste and anything and everything that was edible was eaten or made to good use.
We didn’t have many books in our house growing up (my house in London is full of books now thanks to my husband) but one of them we did have was on all the different types of fish in the world. We were not big TV watchers either (and I am still not) but there was never an ocean documentary that was missed. My dads favourite celebrity was Jacque Coustea (and Clint Eastwood). Now I think that is pretty cool.
Enjoy the recipe! You can use any other similar fish. I cooked my two fish for about 1 hr and a half. Quite long but they were large fish. Make sure to check your fish so as not to overcook. Usually it takes a lot less time (about 45minutes) but it really depends on your fish. You can serve with some steamed beans and potatoes (just as a suggestion).
- Two large sea bass scaled and gutted (the fishmonger should be able to do this for you)
- 1 bunch of parsley finely chopped (leave a quarter of the bunch for the salsa)
- A handful of capers
- 10 black olives chopped
- 4 garlic cloves sliced thinly
- I lemon sliced thinly
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- For the tomato salsa
- 5 tomatoes chopped
- 5 olives copped
- Remaining parlsey chopped
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt and pepper
- Mix together the parsley, capers, olives, garlic and a 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 180oC.
- Add this mixture into the cavity of the your fish and add a few slices of lemons into the cavity also.
- Place the fish in a baking dish and add some lemon pieces on top of the fish and around the fish.
- Cover the dish with foil.
- Put in the oven for 1 and a half hours.
- When fifteen minutes is remaining remove the foil and bake for the remaining time.
- While the fish is baking prepare the tomato salsa.
- In a frying pan add olive oil and heat.
- Fry the onions for five minutes.
- Fry the tomato paste for a further minute.
- Add in the tomatoes and parsley and fry until soft and cooked.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Keep warm and serve with the fish when ready.