Dalmatian Fish Casserole

This is one of my top fish meals. It is rich in taste, and also satisfactory for stomach. It is nice full dinner; it must be supported by nice wine. There are many ways of doing this meal (every part of coastal Croatia has its own way), and this is how I’ve learned on island Hvar.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 portions

Ingredients

• 1200  g  fish (sea bass or similar 4x300g)
• 1000  g potatoes
• 300  g tomatoes
• 150  g onions
• 4  garlic cloves
• 50  g rosemary (fresh branch)
• 20  g  olives
• 2  teaspoons oregano
• 1  cup wine (white, dry)
• 1  tablespoon salt (kosher)
• 1  teaspoon pepper (black, whole)
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Clean the fish, don’t remove head, keep it whole. Put some rosemary leaves inside the fish.
2. Peel potato and cut like chips, but about 0,5 to 1 cm thick.
3. Peel onion and garlic. Cut the onion into halves and garlic into 4 pieces. Cut tomato into halves.
4. First lay potato into the casserole pot and than lay fish. Place onion, tomato and olives around fish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour wine over everything, and than olive oil. Place rosemary branch between fish and sprinkle with oregano.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C and put fish to bake about 30 - 40 minutes. You can reduce heat to 180°C in the middle of baking, than heat again 5 minutes before end to 200°C If you are not sure potato will bake you can cover the casserole pot with aluminum foil, but remove it at least 15 minutes before end to prevent “cooking” the fish.