Baked Perch with Tomatoes and Potatoes

Preparing the fish

1. Thaw the ocean perch and scale it. This is easy if you hold the fish by the tail and scrape with a knife from the tail toward the head.

   River perch is a little harder, because its scales are like armor, but they absolutely must be removed thoroughly.

2. Cut off the head, if it’s still on, and discard it along with the innards.

3. Be sure to clean the black membrane from the belly cavity. It doesn’t come off easily, so it’s worth the effort with a stiff sponge.

   

4. Score the fish crosswise with a knife to a depth of 5-6 mm on both sides, closer to the dorsal fin, at 4-5 cm intervals. Try not to damage the rib bones.

   

5. Rub the fish with a mixture of spices and herbs, paying special attention to the cuts and the belly cavity: oregano, basil, salt, and black pepper to taste. Leave it for 30 mins.

   

Vegetables

1. Peel the onion and cut it into thick strips.

2. Fry the onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned.

   

3. Bake the potatoes until done. The fastest way to bake potatoes is in the microwave, which takes literally 10 mins.

   Fish cooks very quickly, so potatoes could stay raw during the combined cooking. That’s why you should add vegetables that are almost fully baked.

4. Peel the baked potatoes and cut them into 4-6 pieces.

5. Cut one tomato into thin slices; there’s no need to remove the seeds or skin.

6. Cut the second tomato into large wedges, 8-10 pieces.

7. Finely chop the parsley and basil.

Assembling on the baking sheet

1. Grease a baking sheet or clay dish with olive oil and place the fish on it.

   Perch, like any fish, tends to stick to the pan while baking. If you like, lay a few very thin slices of lemon or tomato on the bottom of the pan and put the fish on top of them. The shape of the pan doesn’t matter, a square one works too: just spread the vegetables evenly.

   

2. Arrange the sliced baked potatoes around the fish and sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

   

3. Arrange the large tomato wedges among the potatoes, then add the fried onion.

4. Salt and pepper the vegetables to taste.

   

5. Spread the thin tomato slices evenly so they cover all the space around the perch. If you like, sprinkle with a little more dried herbs and salt.

6. Wait 5 mins for the salt to dissolve.

   

7. Now an important point! Carefully, in very small amounts, drizzle olive oil over the whole dish, or simply brush it over all the ingredients. Try not to miss a single centimeter, so the fish and vegetables don’t burn.

8. Pour 1-2 tbsp of hot water onto the baking sheet.

Baking and serving

1. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200°C and bake uncovered for 45 mins to 1 hour. The time depends above all on the size of the fish, so go by doneness.

   In that time the fish will definitely be cooked through. Go by the tomatoes: once they are well roasted and the fish is done (the flesh by the backbone is white and comes away from the bones easily), the whole dish is ready. Fish, especially river fish, has to be cooked through very thoroughly.

   

2. Serve the dish right in the ovenproof dish it was cooked in.

3. You can add black olives, for decoration and to give the dish a special flavor.

   

4. Add a few sprigs of herbs to the dish and, if you like, a pinch of hot pepper, since many people love a little heat.

5. Squeeze lemon juice over the baked perch; fish goes well with lemon in general. It also goes well with potatoes baked with rosemary.

   The dish isn’t difficult to make, though it takes a while. The main difficulty is cleaning the perch.