A memory from when I was probably 12-13 led me to re-create this recipe. My parents and I were in Crete for the summer (we were living in Athens at the time) and we all went to Agia Gallini on the South coast for an excursion. There we had this delicious fish stew and I remember that i was struck by how much flavour could be in a plate of food that comprised just a few ingredients!
Predictably fish and extra virgin olive oil (Crete is a very large producer of the liquid gold), onions, potatoes and lots of lemon juice. I played a little by adding some finely chopped sundried tomatoes and some pickled bits of ramsons (wild garlic) but these are not strictly speaking necessary.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 4 large fillets of fish (cod, halibut, hake, sea bass or any fish suitable for soup)
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 800g Maris Piper potatoes
- 150ml extra virgin olive oil
- 75ml fresh lemon juice
- fish or vegetable stock, approx 200ml
Method
Parboil the potatoes in their skins for 15 minutes and drain. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off and slice.
In a sauteing pan, bring 2 tbsp of the olive oil to a medium temperature and add the sliced onions. Cook them for 10-15 minutes on medium heat so as to soften and slightly caramelise.
Grease the bottom of a pan with a little oil and lay neatly half the potato slices. Season with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the caramelised onions and top with the fish. Season again. Top with the remaining potato slices, season and pour over the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and add enough stock so as to cover the ingredients. Place a heatproof plate on top to keep the ingredients from moving around, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a medium and cook the dish for 15-20 minutes or until the fish and potatoes are cooked and the sauce has beautifully thickened.
Enjoy with some crusty bread and a salad of finely chopped lettuce and dill dressed just with a little olive oil and lemon juice.