Baked Sea Bass with Vegetables

Baked sea bass (or branzino) with vegetables is a delicious and relatively simple dish to prepare, perfect for a healthy and balanced meal.

Ingredients

• 1 sea bass (branzino) of about 400-600 g, gutted and descaled
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 zucchini
• 1/2 onion
• 100 g of cherry tomatoes
• A few sprigs of rosemary
• Some leaves of basil or fresh parsley
• 1 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).

2. Wash the vegetables thoroughly. Peel the potatoes and carrots and slice them into rounds. Cut the zucchini into rounds or half-moons, depending on the preferred thickness. Thinly slice half an onion. Cut the lemon into slices.

3. In a baking dish, drizzle a bit of oil and place the sliced onion as a base. Add the potatoes, carrots, and zucchini, season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and a drizzle of oil. Mix to evenly season.

4. Place the sea bass on top of the vegetables in the dish. Make oblique cuts on the fish’s back to allow for more even cooking.

5. Inside the fish, insert some lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary. Season the fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of oil.

6. Add the cherry tomatoes around the fish in the dish. Distribute the remaining lemon slices and a few sprigs of rosemary over the vegetables.

7. Bake the dish in the preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and has a crispy skin, and the vegetables are tender.

8. Once cooked, remove the fish from the oven and garnish with fresh basil or parsley to taste.

Curiosity

Sea bass is a fish highly appreciated in Mediterranean cuisine for its delicate flavor and the texture of its flesh. It is suitable for baking because it retains its moisture and pairs very well with aromatic herbs like rosemary. Moreover, when cooked with its skin on, sea bass is able to retain all its internal juices, resulting in a more flavorful and succulent dish.