Recipe: Baked Sea Bass with Roasted Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Potatoes

BAKED SEA BASS WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS, TOMATOES, ANCHOVIES, AND POTATOES



Large pinch of saffron strands
2 tablespoons of hot water
2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 plum tomatoes, skinned and cut lengthwise into quarters
2 oz anchovy fillets in oil, drained
2/3 cup chicken stock
4 red bell peppers, each one seeded and cut into 8 chunks
8 garlic cloves, each sliced into 3 lengthwise
8 small sprigs of oregano
1/3 cup olive oil
1 (3 to 4 lb) sea bass, cleaned and trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the saffron in a teacup, pour in 2 tablespoons of hot water, and let soak.

Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water and parboil for 7 minutes. Drain well, then arrange them in a narrow strip on the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold the sea bass either lengthwise or diagonally. The potatoes should form a bed for the fish, leaving plenty of room on either side for the red peppers.

Scatter the tomatoes and anchovy fillets over the potatoes, then pour the saffron water and stock on top. Scatter the pieces of red pepper down either side of the potatoes and sprinkle with the garlic, oregano sprigs, and olive oil. Season everything well with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.

Slash the fish five or six times down each side, then slash it in the opposite direction on just one side to give an attractive criss-cross pattern. Rub it generously with some olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Lay it on top of the potatoes.

Return the dish to the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Serve with the roasted vegetables.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Rick Stein's Complete Seafood by Rick Stein, James Murphy (photographer)