It is a common knowledge that parsley is an herb. But have you ever thought of it as a green vegetable? In the part of Greece I come from, they do! This oven baked fish and tomato recipe is a Greek classic that requires a little parsley. But in my hometown of Volos, they add parsley in abundance. And when I say in abundance, I mean it! As much as seven bunches of fresh flat leaf parsley for a medium size baking dish (and even more, if you dare!). Unless you try this recipe for yourself, you will never be convinced that this insignificant little garnish could actually dominate a dish with both its quantity and its delicious taste. The juices from the fish, the tomato and the olive oil mixed with the garlic, drip onto the thick bed of parsley and turn it into a soft and tasteful green side dish, highly nutritious, too!
Prepare this recipe with any kind of firm white flesh fish you like, either a whole fish, a fish steak or even better, some fillet. I found some very fresh wild halibut fillet this morning and it turned out delicious.
While shopping for the ingredients for this dish, make a stop at the bakery for the freshest loaf of bread. You’ll need a few slices to dip in the juices. It’s an absolute must!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds fresh wild halibut fillet
- 7 bunches of flat leaf parsley. Hold the bunches together and discard most of the stems. Chop the parsley roughly.
- 2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 large, ripe tomato, sliced
- 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- about 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
- salt and pepper
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven at 420° F (215°C).
- In a medium size baking dish, mix together the parsley, the garlic, the diced tomatoes, 4 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto the baking dish.
- Place the fish on top.
- Drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top of the fish and sprinkle the bread crumbs on the sliced tomatoes.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until fish is cooked.
- Sometimes it happens that the fish is cooked but there is still too much liquid in the dish (mostly the juices from the parsley the oil and the tomatoes). In this case remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully transfer the liquid into a small sauce pan. Simmer under low heat until the liquid is reduced and has a thicker consistency and pour it back into the dish.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Can be also served at room temperature (and even cold, directly from the fridge).
- Enjoy!
