Baked Basque Fish Recipe

Pescado Asado a la Vasca

The Basque Country of northern Spain is home to more than twenty Michelin-starred restaurants located mainly in the cities of San Sebastian and Bilbao. This is one of the world’s great food destinations. The region has an interesting history of private gastronomic societies known as ‘Txokos’ which date back to the late 19th century. These are traditionally male-only institutions where members would cook for one another and socialize. Txokos have had an important influence on modern Basque cuisine as they have been responsible for preserving traditional local dishes and creating many new ones.

Baked Basque Fish Recipe

Basque cuisine is strongly influenced by the region’s geography with the coastline best known for its seafood dishes and the mountainous interior for its meat, vegetables and legumes. Traditional seafood dishes include a salt cod stew called ‘Bacalao a la Vizcaina’ and a tuna fish stew called ‘Marmitako’.

Tapas Recipes Book
Download Kindle Version Now

Our baked Basque fish recipe below is a simple introduction to the region’s cuisine which includes any white fish combined with onions, green peppers, tomato and a dry white wine such as Txakoli.

Baked Basque Fish Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 4 x 175g of white fish fillets – you could use cod, haddock or any other white fish
  • some olive oil
  • 1 small green pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 tablespoons of dry white wine
  • juice of ½ a lemon
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Method

Lightly brush each foil square with olive oil to prevent the fish sticking to it and place a piece of fish on each square. Mix together the green pepper, onion, garlic and tomato and divide them equally to cover the fish. On top of each pile of vegetables place ½ a bay leaf, add 2 tablespoons of white wine and some lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper then fold the edges of the foil together to make four slightly baggy parcels.

Put the parcels on to a baking tray and cook them in a preheated oven, 190C/375F or gas mark 5 for about 30 minutes. You could check one parcel after 20 or 25 minutes. You will know the fish is cooked when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.

More Spanish Recipes

Trucha a la Navarra Recipe

Trout Navarra Style Recipe

Recipes

Trucha a la Navarra The rivers of Navarra in Northern Spain are a great breeding ground for mountain trout. It was here in the 1920s ...

Read more

Fish, Navarra, Seafood

Cod in Tomato Sauce - Bacalao en Salsa de Tomate

Cod in Tomato Sauce Recipe

Recipes

Bacalao en Salsa de Tomate Salt cod can be bought at supermarkets all over Spain and in specialist shops that sell nothing but this rock ...

Read more

Fish, Seafood

Fish and Potato Pie Recipe

Baked Fish and Potato Pie Recipe

Recipes

Pescado al Horno con Patatas The cuisine of Menorca in the Balearic Islands is characterised by fresh local produce from the land and sea. Take ...

Read more

Fish, Potatoes, Seafood