Portuguese-Style Baked Snapper with Potatoes, Onion and Tomato

Name: Portuguese-Style Baked Snapper with Potatoes, Onion and Tomato
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 41 min
Total time: 56 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 500 g Red Royale potatoes, skin on; 1 large brown onion; 4 garlic cloves; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; ¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided; Freshly ground black pepper; 60 ml Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine; 60 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided; 2 medium tomatoes; 50 ml hot water; 600g snapper fillets or portions, about 6 small pieces; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Tender snapper is baked over thinly sliced potatoes, onion and tomato with garlic, paprika, olive oil and white wine. A simple Portuguese-style oven dish for an unhurried family dinner or a meal shared straight from the baking dish.

Portuguese-style baked snapper over sliced potatoes, onion and tomato in a baking dish.

Baked fish with potatoes and onion has the sort of quiet familiarity that belongs in a Portuguese kitchen. The potatoes soften in white wine, olive oil and paprika, while thick slices of tomato settle into the pan and release their juices. Snapper only needs a few minutes over the nearly tender potatoes, staying soft and delicate while taking on the flavours underneath. It is generous, simple food, built from ingredients that know how to sit well together.

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 41 min · Serves: 4 · Cuisine: Portuguese · Category: Seafood

Ingredients

Portuguese Style Baked Snapper

500 g Red Royale potatoes, skin on
1 large brown onion
4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
60 ml Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
60 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium tomatoes
50 ml hot water
600g snapper fillets or portions, about 6 small pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 210°C conventional or 190°C fan-forced. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.
Wash the potatoes and slice them into rounds about 5 mm thick. Place them in a large rectangular casserole or baking dish.
Halve the onion from root to tip and slice it into thin half-moons. Thinly slice the garlic. Add both to the potatoes with the bay leaf.
Add the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, a generous grinding of black pepper, the white wine and 40 ml olive oil. Toss thoroughly so the potatoes and onion are evenly coated, then spread into an even layer.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes crosswise into rounds about 7–10 mm thick.
Remove the foil and gently stir the potatoes and onion, lifting some of the potatoes from the bottom of the dish. Lay the tomato rounds across and between the potatoes.
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 10 minutes.
Test one of the thicker potato slices with the tip of a small knife. The potato should be almost tender, with only slight resistance. If still clearly firm, bake uncovered for a further 5 minutes before adding the fish.
Pour the hot water around the edges of the casserole and into a few gaps between the potatoes. Gently loosen a few potatoes from the base so the water mixes with the concentrated wine, paprika and onion juices.
Pat the snapper very dry with paper towel. Season evenly with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Arrange the snapper over the potato and tomato base in a single layer without overlapping. Drizzle with the remaining 20 ml olive oil and spoon the 2 teaspoons lemon juice lightly across the fish.
Bake uncovered for 6 minutes, then check the thickest piece. The snapper should be opaque and separate into moist flakes under gentle pressure. Cook for another 1–2 minutes if needed.
Remove from the oven and rest for 2 minutes.
Spoon some of the warm paprika, onion and tomato juices lightly around and over the snapper. Scatter with the chopped parsley and serve from the baking dish.

Serving Suggestion

Serve the snapper with plenty of the soft potatoes, onion and tomato from underneath, spooning the warm pan juices over each portion. A wedge of warm Portuguese Corn Bread (Broa de Milho) is perfect for mopping up the juices, and a side of Garlic Green Beans with Olive Oil & Lemon rounds out the plate beautifully.

Storage Notes

Transfer leftovers to shallow airtight containers and refrigerate promptly. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently until hot, using a covered dish or short microwave intervals so the snapper does not dry out.

Notes

Red Royale potatoes hold their shape well in the casserole while becoming tender through the centre. Slice them as evenly as possible so they cook at the same rate.

A dry Sauvignon Blanc works beautifully here. Choose a wine you would be happy to drink and avoid anything noticeably sweet.

Small snapper portions cook very quickly. Thicker fillets may need a little longer, so check the thickest part rather than relying only on the clock.

The Grace Table Tip

Make sure the potatoes are almost tender before adding the snapper. The fish only needs a few minutes in the oven, and adding it too early means choosing between undercooked potatoes and overcooked fish.

If using packaged frozen snapper, that is occassionaly supplied with flavoured butter, remove the butter and use the plain fish for this recipe. Six small portions weighing about 600 g in total are ideal.