Roasted Fish w/ garlic, lemon zest & baby tomatoes

This is one of my favourite, simplest fish dinners. It is inspired by (though not identical to) Donna Hay's Modern Classics (Book 1). I have used several Donna Hay recipes before, but can't remember what I wrote about her! I think her recipes are very good: they almost always work. Some of you may remember when (most of us?) were in high school, and some 'Marie Claire' cookbooks were released: they were fantastic, and really revolutionised not only how cook books were published in Australia, but how home cooks cooked. 

Donna Hay was the force behind them (the first 3 or so books that is, not the later ones). I am a big fan: if I am every trying a dish 'new / for the first time' I will either look through Donna Hay's stuff, or Stephanie Alexander. 

That said, I do find the magazine, and some of her later books a little annoying: it often feels like a book that I have bought is then basically published in the magazine, and vice-versa. But that is bye-the-bye: her stuff works, every time, and she doesn't suggest ridiculous ingredients that would see you spend $18 on a small sachet of something that will go off before you can ever use it again (I huge pet hate of mine). 

I served this w/ boiled potatoes that I mixed w/ olive oil & parsley, I was going to add green beans, but was so busy chatting to an old friend on Facebook that I forgot to put them on . . . . thus: beanless.

Simple Roast Fish

olive oil   

zest of 1 lemon

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

10 baby tomatoes (whole)

4 small potatoes

handful fresh parsley

any fish fillet of firm white flesh

(I used flathead fillets in these pics)

Preheat the oven to 180'c. Put a pot of water on to boil, and once boiling add some salt, and pop in the potatoes (I prefer not to peel mine: this is absolutely a matter of preference: do them however you prefer). 

Put the crushed garlic, tomatoes, and lemon zest into a roasting dish and put a good glug or so of olive oil into the dish. Mix well to combine it all, and pop into the oven for 20 minutes. 

After 20 mins remove the dish from the oven, and put the fish fillet/s into the pan. Add another glug of olive oil & carefully (don't burn yourself!) mix in w/ the tomato mix, ensuring the fillets are well coated in the oil & cook for another 15 - 20 mins: until fish is cooked. You can tell that it is cooked by pressing your fork against the fillet. The flesh will come away slightly, and if it is still pink-ish, it needs longer (duh).

Drain the potatoes & quarter (if using larger potatoes, maybe cut into 6ths). Slice/tear up the parsley, and together with another glug (love that word!) of olive oil, mix through the potatoes. 

Put a heap of the potatoes on a plate, and then top w/ the roast fish/tomato mix. Season w/ salt & pepper to taste. 

Bon Appetit!