Roast Fish with Potatoes & Olives

This is dinner-party-worthy food masquerading as a weeknight one-pan meal. White fish (sea bass, snapper, or any flaky white) roasts on top of garlicky potatoes, black olives and quartered artichokes, all bathing in white wine and olive oil. The kitchen smells like a Mediterranean villa.

Par-boiling the potatoes for five minutes before they go in the oven is the move that makes this dish work. Raw potatoes would still be hard when the fish is done. Fully cooked potatoes would turn to mush. Five minutes gets them crisp-tender, ready to develop crusty edges in the hot oven without overcooking.

The high oven temperature (450°F / 230°C) does two things at once. It crisps the potato edges and cooks the delicate fish quickly so it stays moist and flaky. Lower temperatures would steam everything and leave the fish bland and the potatoes soft.

Bay leaves infuse the wine and oil with their distinct herbal eucalyptus note as the dish bakes. Pull them out before serving since they don’t soften.

Pro Tips

• Slice the potatoes thin (about ¼ inch) and uniform so they cook evenly and form crusty bottoms.
• Use a heavy ceramic or enameled cast-iron baking dish. The thermal mass helps the potatoes crisp underneath.
• Don’t crowd the fish. Leave space between fillets so steam escapes and they roast instead of poach.
• Serve with a green salad and crusty bread to mop up the pan juices.

Variations

• Use salmon, cod, or halibut instead of sea bass.
• Add cherry tomatoes and a handful of capers for a more vivid Italian profile.
• Top the fish with a few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary before baking.