Whole Roasted Fish with Grilled Vegetables
Whole roasted fish with grilled vegetables is a chef’s dish built on the principle that what matters most is not complexity but freshness. The sea bass are roasted whole, each stuffed with garlic confit and thyme; a deep cut along the body keeps the skin from splitting and makes it easier to check for doneness. The vegetables — eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, corn, asparagus — are grilled until lightly crisp.
Garlic confit, slowly steeped in olive oil with rosemary, turns sweet and soft, losing its sharpness — it’s exactly what sets the aroma for the whole fish. This Mediterranean approach is built on good olive oil, a few sprigs of herbs, and garlic, without overloading the delicate fish.
One handy trick: Sea bass is easily swapped for sea bream or another small fish for roasting whole. Don’t overcook it — done fish separates easily from the bone.
- Don’t throw out the aromatic oil from the garlic confit: use it to drizzle the vegetables before grilling.
- If you don’t have a grill, the vegetables can be roasted in the oven on the highest heat or fried on a grill pan.
Serve with tartar sauce. The grilled vegetable side is equally good warm and at room temperature, so any extra can be kept for the next day.
Part of Mediterranean cuisine — 20 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
First make the garlic confit: heat the olive oil well, add the peeled garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs, and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Keep over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the garlic turns soft. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Clean the fish and remove the gills. Make a deep cut from head to tail so the skin doesn't split during roasting. Tuck the prepared garlic and thyme sprigs inside each fish. Lay the sea bass on a baking sheet and drizzle with the rosemary-garlic oil. Season with salt to taste and pepper. Roast in an oven preheated to 180-200°C for 15-20 minutes. Check for doneness by gently lifting the flesh near the cut: if it separates easily from the bone, the fish is ready.
Meanwhile, prepare the side. Cut the corn crosswise into 2-3 cm segments. Slice the eggplant and zucchini into rounds and the pepper into wedges. Trim the asparagus and peel the tough skin from the stalks.
Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil (or the garlic confit oil) and lay them on the grill. Grill for about 10 minutes, so the vegetables stay slightly crisp. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the fish with the grilled vegetables and tartar sauce.
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