Psari Spetsiotiko (Ψάρι Σπετσιώτικο), Spetses Baked Fish

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •oval or rectangular baking dish, about 32cm
• •box grater for fresh tomatoes
• •fish spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the fish

   Heat the oven to 200C. Pat the fish dry inside and out, then season it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Make two shallow diagonal cuts on each side if the fish is whole, so the seasoning and sauce reach the flesh. Set it in a baking dish just large enough to hold it without crowding.

2. 2

   Mix the topping

   In a bowl, mix the grated tomatoes, olive oil, white wine, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, oregano, bay leaf, lemon juice, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. The mixture should look loose, not dry. This is the step that decides the dish: the breadcrumbs must be wet before they go over the fish, so they drink the tomato, wine, and fish juices in the oven and make a tender crust instead of a sandy cap.

   Use fresh crumbs from day-old bread if you can. Fine dry crumbs tighten too quickly and give a meaner crust.
3. 3

   Cover the fish

   Spoon the tomato crumb mixture over and around the fish, pressing some gently into the cuts and along the top. Leave the tail and a little of the head visible if you're baking a whole fish. It should look generous, like a fish tucked under a red, oily blanket, not like a thin smear of sauce.

4. 4

   Bake until tender

   Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, basting once with the pan juices after 20 minutes. The topping should darken at the edges, the oil should gloss the tomato, and the flesh should lift easily from the bone. If using thick fillets, begin checking at 22 minutes.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   Let the fish rest for 8 minutes before serving. Spoon the tomato crumbs and pan juices over each portion, with lemon wedges at the table. Serve it with bread, or boiled potatoes if you want the plate to behave properly and catch every drop.

Chef Tips

• •Choose the fish before you choose the plan. Sea bass, sea bream, grouper, dentex, or cod all work if they are firm, fresh, and not too thin. A tired fish under tomato is still a tired fish. Liga kai kala.
• •Out of tomato season, use good canned crushed tomatoes without apology. The island dish depends on tomato body, not on pretending a winter tomato has sweetness it doesn't have.
• •For a dinner table, a whole fish looks right and stays moist. For nervous cooks, thick fillets are kinder. Keep them in one layer and shorten the baking time, and the dish is still Spetses, because the tomato crumb is doing its work.
• •Serve with boiled potatoes, horta, or country bread. This is not a dish that wants many companions. Good olive oil, and patience.

Advance Preparation

• •Ask the fishmonger to clean and scale the fish the same day you cook it.
• •Make the breadcrumbs up to 2 days ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator.
• •The tomato crumb mixture can be mixed 2 hours ahead, but spoon it over the fish just before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 315g)