Whole Roast Bream with Potatoes and Olives Recipe

As Easter Saturday remains within the period of lent, I thought that, along with a vegetarian dish I should also present a fish dish. Even better, today's recipe for a roast bream works very well with the Lentil and Rice Casserole recipe given earlier today as an accompaniment.

Remember that Easter Saturday still lies within lent so no meat or dairy should be consumed and fish recipes should predominate on the menu.

Whole Roast Bream with Potatoes and Olives

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

800g (28 oz) new potatoes (or small potatoes) sliced thickly

4 tbsp olive oil

generous handful of small black olives, pitted

2 garlic clove, chopped

2 large bunches of flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped (reserve the stalks)

2 whole sea bread (about 450g [1 lb] cleaned and scaled but with head and tail still attached)

300ml (1 1/4 cups) white wine

sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Arrange the potatoes in a large gratin dish and toss with 2 tbsp of the oil. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200ºC (400ºF, Gas Mark 7) and roast for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just beginning to soften. Scatter over the olives, garlic, half the parsley, the lemon zest and some salt and black pepper then toss to combine before spreading the mixture evenly over the base of the dish.

Season the fish and set the parsley stalks in their body cavities. Arrange the fish on top of the potatoes then drizzle over the remaining olive oil. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Pour over the wine then return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the potatoes have browned and the fish is cooked.

Remove the dish from the oven then scatter over the remaining parsley and bring to the table. Serve each person a side of the fish, the potatoes and the pan juices as a sauce.