Baked sea bream from Apulia

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 sea bream(s) (500 g each)
• 1 kg potatoes, mainly waxy
• Olive oil for the mold
• 2 bunch parsley, flat
• 100 g Pecorino, finely grated
• 1 organic lemon(s), grated peel
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 10 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

Pugliese greetings

Gut and scale the sea bream, or ask your fishmonger to do this for you. Wash the fish thoroughly and dry with kitchen paper. Wash the potatoes and cook them in salted water. Let the potatoes cool and peel them. Then cut the potatoes into five-millimeter-thick slices. Pick off the leaves and fine stalks of the parsley. Peel the garlic and chop both ingredients very finely or crush them in a mortar. Add the pecorino cheese, breadcrumbs, and lemon zest and make a paste (gremolata) with eight tablespoons of olive oil. Preheat the oven to 175°C (top/bottom heat). Lightly grease an ovenproof dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Line the bottom of the dish with just under half of the potato slices, season generously with salt and pepper, and drizzle with some of the gremolata. Salt and pepper the fish and place it on top of the potato slices in the baking dish. Drizzle some of the gremolata over the sea bream as well. Cover the fish with the remaining potato slices, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the remaining gremolata. Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and cook for 50 to 60 minutes. Carve the sea bream at the table and serve while still very hot.