This is one of the simplest recipes from my early years in the Maldives: a whole reef fish baked with vegetables, herbs, lemon and olive oil. It is the kind of dish that works because the ingredients are allowed to remain recognisable.
I originally prepared it with locally sourced reef fish. If you are cooking elsewhere, use a whole fish that is appropriate to your market and local sourcing standards — sea bass, sea bream or another firm whole fish can work well.
Ingredients
- 1 whole fish, cleaned and scaled
- 1 lemon
- Pumpkin, cut into wedges
- Potatoes, cut into small wedges or thick batons
- Carrots, sliced
- Courgettes, sliced
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 head of garlic
- Fresh parsley and rosemary
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Pat the fish dry and check that the scales and internal cavity have been properly cleaned. Season inside and out, then place a few lemon slices and herbs in the cavity.
- Cut the pumpkin, potatoes and carrots into pieces that will cook at a similar rate. Keep the courgette and tomatoes slightly larger so they do not disappear during baking.
- Cut the garlic head in half. Wrap it loosely in baking paper or foil with a little olive oil and salt, and roast it alongside the fish until soft.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper and add a light film of olive oil. Place the fish in the centre and arrange the vegetables around it. Add the tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, salt, pepper and another drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake until the fish is cooked through and the flesh separates cleanly from the bone. The exact time depends on the species, thickness and weight of the fish, so use doneness rather than a fixed number of minutes as your guide.
- Rest for a few minutes, finish with the soft roasted garlic and a little fresh olive oil, then serve immediately.
Why I still like this kind of cooking
Professional kitchens often push us toward complexity. Sometimes complexity is necessary; sometimes it is only habit. A whole fish, vegetables and a controlled oven give very little room for decoration, which means the quality of the product and the accuracy of the cooking become more important.
That is what I still like about this recipe. It belongs to a specific period of my life in the Maldives, but the principle travels anywhere: choose the fish well, cut the vegetables with purpose, season carefully and stop before the plate becomes too busy.
Originally published on 4 March 2022. This Journal archive edition has been revised for language, recipe clarity and presentation while preserving the original photographs and publication date.
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