Greek Baked Sea Bass (Lavraki Plaki)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a large roasting dish or oven-safe skillet, layer the potato slices across the bottom. Add the onion rings, tomato slices, and garlic over the top. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour 60ml of olive oil and the white wine over the vegetables. Add the thyme sprigs. Bake for 25 minutes until the potatoes have begun to soften and the tomatoes are beginning to collapse. The preliminary bake ensures the potatoes are cooked through — they need more time than the fish.

Score the fish 3 times on each side. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with parsley, lemon rounds, and a drizzle of olive oil. Lay the fish on top of the partially cooked vegetable bed. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish. Arrange the remaining lemon rounds on top. Return to the oven for 30–35 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Spoon the pan juices over the fish twice during cooking.

Bring the entire roasting dish to the table — this is the way plaki is served. Scatter fresh parsley over the top. Each person takes a portion of fish and a spoonful of the vegetables and fragrant pan juices beneath. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.