Whole Baked Fish With Vegetables

Name: Whole Baked Fish With Vegetables
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Mediterranean

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roubashahin.com.au

Mains

One of the first fish recipes I ever cooked—whole baked fish with bold herbs, olives and capsicum. Easy, flavour-packed, and perfect for sharing.

PREP TIME

25 minutes

COOK TIME

45 minutes

SERVES

4-6

About this recipe

This whole baked fish with herbs is one of the very first fish recipes I ever cooked on my own. Back then, we didn’t have access to recipe websites or cooking blogs like we do now—just a handful of cooking shows on TV and a lot of experimenting. I used to watch my favourite chefs and combine bits and pieces from each one until I landed on something that worked. And this worked—it’s stayed with me ever since.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s simple but looks so impressive. The whole baked fish is flavoured with garlic, lemon, coriander and fresh herbs, then baked over a bed of vegetables and olives. It’s healthy, hearty, and perfect for sharing with family or guests. I love serving it with a side of steamed jasmine rice to soak up all those beautiful pan juices.

If you love this kind of hands-off main that still delivers on flavour, you might also enjoy my Samkeh Harra -Baked Snapper with Tahini Sauce or my Chickpea and Lamb Stew—another family favourite.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil + 1 extra tablespoon
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 onion cut into rings
1 each red and green capsicum cut into rings
½ cup sundried tomato strips
½ cup kalamata olives pitted
1 teaspoon dried oregano
whole fish cleaned, gutted, and scaled
salt and pepper to season
½ cup parsley chopped for garnish

Coriander Marinade

3 garlic cloves
½ bunch fresh coriander (40 grams)
4 tablespoons olive oil

Notes from Rouba

It’s important not to overcook the fish—check for flakiness with a fork.
Ask your fishmonger to scale and gut the fish for you to make prep easier.
Snapper or barramundi are ideal for this recipe.
Always pat your fish dry before seasoning—it helps the skin roast beautifully.
Steamed jasmine rice makes the perfect side dish to soak up the juices.

Method

Step 1. Prepare the Tray and Vegetables

Preheat your fan-forced oven to 180°C.

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large baking tray. Arrange about three-quarters of the garlic, onion, capsicum rings, sundried tomato strips, olives, and oregano across the base of the tray. Toss everything together to coat well in the oil and set aside.

Step 2. Prepare the Fish

Lightly score the whole fish by cutting diagonal slits into the flesh around 2–3 cm apart. This helps the marinade soak in beautifully. Season the fish generously with salt on both sides and inside the cavity.

Step 3. Make the Coriander Marinade

To make the marinade, blend the garlic and fresh coriander (including stems) in a small food processor until finely chopped—about 15 seconds. Add the olive oil and process again until smooth. You can also use a mortar and pestle if you prefer a more traditional method.

Spoon the marinade over the fish, rubbing it into the slits and inside the cavity. Squeeze half a lemon over the fish and place that squeezed half inside the cavity as well. Then place the fish on top of the prepared vegetables in the baking tray.

Step 4. Assemble and Bake

Arrange the remaining other ingredients over and around the fish. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the tray with baking paper, then foil, and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove the fish from the oven. Garnish with chopped parsley and squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon half over the top.

A Few Things You’ll Want to Know

Can I use fish fillets instead of whole fish?
You can! It won’t have quite the same flavour because the bones in whole fish really do add depth and moisture, but it still works. Just keep in mind fillets will cook faster and the final look will be a bit flatter and more delicate. Start checking them around the 20–25 minute mark.

What type of fish should I use?
Any firm white fish works beautifully—snapper and barramundi are my go-to choices. If your local fishmonger has sea bream, flathead or rainbow trout, they’re also great options. Just ask them to clean, gut and scale it for you to save time at home.

What if I don’t like coriander?
Swap it with flat-leaf parsley. It won’t be quite the same, but it’s still fresh and herby.

Why do you cover with baking paper and then foil?
Great question—and one I get often. I always place a layer of baking paper over the fish before adding foil. This protects the food from direct contact with foil, which can leach small amounts of aluminium into our food. Using baking paper first creates a barrier, keeping your dish safe and your flavours pure.

Do I have to serve this with rice?
Not at all! Steamed jasmine rice is just my personal favourite But you could also serve it with crusty bread, roasted potatoes, or a fresh leafy salad.

Can I prep this ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely. You can marinate the fish, prep the vegetables, and even assemble everything in the baking tray earlier in the day. Just cover it and keep it in the fridge, then pop it straight into the oven when you're ready to cook. The only thing I wouldn’t recommend is baking it ahead—it’s best served fresh, straight from the oven.