Baked Sea Bass with Tomatoes and Olives
DAR’I M’SLALLA
MOROCCO
You can use either saltwater or freshwater fish for this recipe as long as you choose a fish with a firm white flesh. Let the fish come to room temperature before baking so that you can time it to cook perfectly. Also, use ripe but firm tomatoes to achieve both an optimal flavor and texture—tomatoes are the main accompaniment, so they need to be perfect. Serve with good bread.
SERVES 4
2 whole sea bass or other similar fish (about 1 pound 12 ounces/800 g each), scaled, gutted, and rinsed
A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley
4 large firm-ripe vine tomatoes (1 pound 12 ounces/800 g total), cut into medium-thick slices
Sea salt
10½ ounces (300 g) green olives, pitted (don’t use already pitted, pit your own)
1. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and place on a large platter. Rub it all over with the chermoula, inside and out. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably longer, in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
3. Spread the parsley over the bottom of an oven-to-table baking dish large enough to hold both fish. Lay the marinated fish in the dish and cover with the sliced tomatoes. Season with salt to taste and pour any chermoula still in the dish over the tomatoes. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the fish is done to your liking—I like mine just done so that it stays very moist.
4. Blanch the pitted olives in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well and arrange them around the fish for the last 10 minutes of roasting. Take out of the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.