The term plaki (plah-KEE) in Greek is used to describe a dish that is usually cooked with olive oil, tomatoes, and vegetables in the oven. For example, you can have beans “plaki” style (called Gigandes plaki) or, in this case, a baked fish plaki. (Fish in Greek is psari, pronounced SAH-ree.)
The recipe works well with any firm white fish—cod , halibut , haddock or whatever type you may have available.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 large onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup celery (diced)
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 5 plum tomatoes (seeded and diced)
- 1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 3 pounds firm white fish fillets (such as cod, halibut, tilapia)
- Dash salt
- Dash freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 lemons (thinly sliced)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onions and the celery until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the tomatoes and parsley to the pan and saute until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Place the fish fillets in a non-reactive baking pan or ceramic baker. Season them with salt and pepper and sprinkle with oregano on both sides.
- Top the fish fillets with the onion/celery/tomato mixture and cover each with two or three thin slices of lemon.
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and the wine and pour over the fillets and into the pan.
- Top each of the fillets with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and add remaining crumbs to the liquid in the pan.
- Bake the fillets uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
