Mallorcan-style baked fish

In this Mallorcan one-dish wonder, freshly cooked fish fillets lie blanketed between delicate potato, spinach and tomato and sprinkled with pine nuts and raisins, to give the dish a true island flavour.

Credit: Rochelle Eagle

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) desiree potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp sweet pimentòn
• 1 bunch English spinach, thick stems discarded, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch spring onions (scallions), sliced
• 1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 150 g (5½ oz) white fish fillets, such as snapper or flathead
• 30 g (1 oz) pine nuts
• 50 g (1¾ oz) raisins
• 3–4 ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) dry white wine
• lemon wedges, to serve (optional)

Sitting time: 20 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan-forced.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large earthenware dish or baking dish and layer the potato slices on top. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the fine sea salt and the pimentòn.
3. In a large colander over a bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the remaining salt over the spinach and set aside for 20 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach, then transfer to a large bowl and add the spring onion, parsley, garlic and cinnamon. Toss to combine, then spread half the spinach mixture over the potato and press down with your hands to flatten the layers.
4. Sprinkle the remaining salt and a little pepper over both sides of the fish fillets and place on top of the spinach layer. Top with the remaining spinach mixture, sprinkle over the pine nuts and raisins and finish with the tomato. Pour over the wine and drizzle with the remaining olive oil, then season again with salt and pepper.
5. Make a cartouche by cutting a circle of baking paper 2 cm (¾ in) wider than your dish. Tuck it into the dish to create a loose seal. Bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove the cartouche and continue to cook for a further 30–40 minutes, until the tomato begins to colour and the potato is cooked through.
6. Divide into portions, trying to remember where each fish fillet is, and serve with lemon wedges on the side, if you like.

 

Recipes and images from Islas: Food of the Spanish Islands by Emma Warren, Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.