The week is almost gone! Time flies, my friends, but it's never too late to try a new recipe. New is the key to keep ourselves like new as well, mind and body. I changed my all time recipe for baked fish a little, and it turned out pretty well.

I used bluefish, which is less oily than amberjack (aka, tuna's poor cousin 😄), the one that I've chosen for this dish for the last ten years o so. The result is a more delicate taste. I won't say I like this better but bluefish definitely deserves a chance.

In my town, we know bluefish as anchoa, which must not be confused with anchovies. Bluefish is big and fleshy; below you can see the one I bought.

This one was one and a half kilo. I bought it from my favorite fishmonger, who has his stand near my house. His prices are a little higher than in the City Market or at La Boca del Rio, but his fish is always the freshest. Besides, I can find more variety here. I paid almost $7 for this big, fresh, and clean 1.5 kg bluefish. I knew right away that I would have to use the gas oven if I wanted to bake it whole. In the end, I decided to remove the head and tail to make a soup--bluefish makes amazing broth--and bake the rest in my small electric oven.

Personal Note: Baking fish at home instead of frying it has two great advantages for me: 1. the odor won't stick to the curtains and upholstery, and 2. it's healthier (you can use only a little oil).

INGREDIENTS

This recipe takes little time and olnly a few ingredients. The measures below are approximate.

For 4 people:

* 1 kg bluefish, whole

* 400 gr white onions

* 800 gr potatoes

* 4 tablespoons freshly crushed garlic

* 50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

* salt to taste

(I used 2 tablespoons, one for the potato & onion bed and one for the fish)

* freshly cracked black pepper to taste

* olive oil for everything inside the baking pan 😁

THE PROCESS

Well, since my fish was clean and opened lengthwise on one side, I proceeded directly to prepare it (after I removed the head and tail, which I saved for our Sunday soup 😋).

I usually make a few cuts to the bone to speed up the baking process.

Also, when the meat is pulled away from the bone, you know that the fish is ready.

Another indicator is the lemon slices that we can garnish the fish with on top ☝️; they not only provide flavor and juiciness but depending on how well they brown, you can also get an idea of how well the fish is cooked.

I julienned the onions. I like them to keep their shape while baking to have some delicious onion strips to sink my teeth into 😁

Then I peeled and sliced the potatoes. I like them thin, so they cook fully; fish is quick to bake, potatoes are not. Also, I cut them beveled so that they do not break. That way they look nicer when you serve them.

I put them in a pyrex...

Put some freshly cracked black pepper, salt, and olive oil (3-4 tablespoons, no more).

Then with my hand, I stir as best I can before putting the fish on top. It's better to use your hand because that way you make sure that everything is well mixed and that the oil sticks to the potatoes.

Now, the fish.

You don't need to marinate the fish. This is a quick recipe, and everything turns out as it should, believe me. The fish is going to have a lot of flavor, and it's going to be tender and juicy.

I peeled the garlic cloves and crushed them in my old mortar. Then I added like 50 ml of greshly squeezed lemon juice, plus freshly cracked black pepper, salt (1 tablespoon), and olive oil (4 tablespoons approx.). I saved the best lemon slices for garnish.

The resulting mojito is what makes the fish taste so good.

I rubbed the fish with the mojito inside and outside.

I made sure to get it into the cuts I had made.

To get a little crispiness, I always drizzle a little extra olive oil.

Finally, I put the slices of lemon on top...

...and it was ready to go into the oven. I put a loose lid on the pyrex and let it bake for 40 minutes at 300° F. Then let it bake for another 15 minutes without the lid so the fish would take a golden color.

The fish was done in less than an hour, but I left it inside the oven for half an hour, with the oven off, so it cooled a little before I served it. This way the flesh keeps its juices inside.

I was really pleased with the look of this dish. And I was even happier later after I ate it 😋

I served it with cucumber and yogurt and some boiled plantain.

We cumaneses love our fish with something sweet 😁

This is a very versatile dish, as it can be served following formal etiquette, removing the skin and easily scooping out the meat without the bones with a couple of spoons.

But for the two of us, I prefer to serve a round portion.

...with a good dose of delicious sauce. We love it.

As usual, I hope you've found this post useful 😁 If you like fish, you'll love this recipe. I love learning new ways to prepare fish at home. Fish is a staple in my town ❤️

Do you have a go to recipe for fish?

Bon appetite!

All text and images are my own. I have taken the pictures with my Redmi 9T cell phone. And if any GIFs here, I've used GIPHY for all them.

Thank you so much for your visit :)

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