Chef Graziella
Anguilla Arrosto alla Comacchiese
The legendary roasted eel of Comacchio, where the brackish lagoons of the Po Delta have produced Italy's finest anguilla for two thousand years. Bay leaves, salt, fire. Nothing more.
Culinary Explorer
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Spigola al Forno con Patate
Created by
Whole sea bass roasted on a bed of potatoes, the simplest preparation and therefore the most honest. The fish seasons the potatoes. The potatoes support the fish. Nothing more is required.
Main Dishes
Italian
Weeknight
One Pot
25 min
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 10 min total
Yield4 servings
This is the cooking of the Italian coast, from Liguria to Puglia and everywhere between. A fisherman brings home his catch. His wife slices potatoes, drizzles oil, roasts everything together in one pan. The fish juices drip into the potatoes. The potatoes become extraordinary. There is no sauce because the fish makes its own.
Americans want to complicate fish. They want crusts and compound butters and reductions. Italian home cooks know better. When your fish is fresh, you get out of its way. Oil, salt, a whisper of garlic, something green and aromatic. The oven does the rest.
The potatoes here are not a side dish. They are the point. They roast beneath the fish, absorbing every drop of rendered fat and juice. By the time the fish is done, those potatoes have become something remarkable. This is why you must use good potatoes, sliced thin enough to cook through but thick enough to hold their shape. Waxy varieties work best. Starchy potatoes will fall apart.
Roasting whole fish with potatoes became standard along Italian coastlines in the 19th century, after potatoes finally won acceptance in Italian kitchens. Before that, coastal cooks roasted fish on beds of onions, fennel, or bread. The method remains unchanged in fishing villages from the Ligurian Riviera to the Adriatic: fresh catch, local oil, whatever grows nearby, and a hot oven.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
whole sea bass
Quantity
1 (about 2 1/2 pounds)
scaled and gutted
Yukon Gold potatoes
Quantity
1 1/2 pounds
sliced 1/4 inch thick
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/3 cup, divided
garlic cloves
Quantity
3
peeled and lightly crushed
fresh rosemary
Quantity
3 sprigs
lemon
Quantity
1
half sliced thin, half reserved
dry white wine
Quantity
1/2 cup
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
fresh Italian parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole sea bassscaled and gutted | 1 (about 2 1/2 pounds) |
| Yukon Gold potatoessliced 1/4 inch thick | 1 1/2 pounds |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/3 cup, divided |
| garlic clovespeeled and lightly crushed | 3 |
| fresh rosemary | 3 sprigs |
| lemonhalf sliced thin, half reserved | 1 |
| dry white wine | 1/2 cup |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| fresh Italian parsleychopped | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •Large roasting pan or ceramic baking dish (approximately 9x13 inches)
- •Sharp knife for slashing fish
- •Fish spatula for serving
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the fish
Rinse the sea bass inside and out under cold running water. Pat it completely dry with paper towels. Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the fish, cutting down to the bone. These allow heat to penetrate evenly and seasonings to enter the flesh. Season the cavity and the exterior generously with salt and pepper. Tuck one sprig of rosemary and several lemon slices inside the cavity.
The fish must be impeccably fresh. Eyes should be clear and bright, gills should be red, the flesh should spring back when pressed. If you smell anything beyond the clean scent of the sea, walk away. - 2
Prepare the potatoes
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the potato slices with half the olive oil, the crushed garlic cloves, and one sprig of rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. The potatoes should be evenly coated but not swimming in oil.
- 3
Arrange the baking dish
Spread the potatoes in an even layer in a roasting pan or large baking dish, overlapping them slightly like fallen leaves. The layer should be no more than two slices thick. Nestle the remaining rosemary sprig among the potatoes. The garlic cloves should be scattered throughout.
Use a pan that holds everything without crowding. The potatoes need room to crisp at the edges. A pan too small creates steam; the potatoes will braise instead of roast. - 4
Roast the potatoes
Place the pan in the oven and roast the potatoes alone for 20 minutes. They should begin to turn golden at the edges and soften through. This head start is essential. Potatoes take longer to cook than fish, and the fish waits for nothing.
- 5
Add the fish
Remove the pan from the oven. Lay the prepared sea bass directly on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish. Pour the white wine around the edges of the pan, not over the fish. The wine will help the potatoes finish cooking and create a small amount of sauce.
- 6
Roast until done
Return the pan to the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork at the thickest part. The skin should be golden and beginning to crisp. The potatoes beneath should be tender and have absorbed the fish juices. Do not rely solely on time. The fish tells you when it is done.
A fish this size typically takes 10 minutes per inch of thickness at the thickest point. But your oven is not my oven. Check early. Overcooked fish cannot be rescued. - 7
Finish and serve
Remove from the oven and squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon half over the fish and potatoes. Scatter the chopped parsley over everything. Bring the pan directly to the table. Fish this fresh, this simply prepared, deserves to be served immediately, while the skin still crackles and the potatoes glisten. Fillet at the table if you wish, or let guests serve themselves.
Chef Tips
- •Ask your fishmonger to scale and gut the fish, but leave the head and tail on. The head contains gelatin that bastes the flesh as it cooks. Headless fish dries out.
- •If whole sea bass is unavailable, branzino works beautifully, as does orata (gilt-head bream). The method adapts to any firm white fish. Adjust cooking time for size.
- •The crushed garlic cloves roast among the potatoes and become soft and sweet. Find them when serving. They are a treasure, spread on bread or eaten alongside the fish.
- •Leftover potatoes, if any survive, are excellent at room temperature the next day, dressed with a little more olive oil and lemon.
Advance Preparation
- •The fish can be cleaned, slashed, and seasoned up to 4 hours ahead. Keep it refrigerated, uncovered, until 30 minutes before cooking. Bring to room temperature before roasting.
- •Potatoes can be sliced and held in cold water for up to 2 hours. Drain and dry thoroughly before tossing with oil.
- •This dish does not reheat well. Make only what you will eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 310g)
Calories
380 calories
Total Fat
15 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
12 g
Cholesterol
80 mg
Sodium
660 mg
Total Carbohydrates
31 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
25 g
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