Chilean Baked Fish with Potatoes and Vegetables — Homemade Pescado al Horno Recipe

Versión en Español

Chilean baked fish, or pescado al horno, is a white fish fillet such as reineta, hake (merluza) or corvina, baked on a bed of potatoes and vegetables with lemon and olive oil. It takes 20 minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the oven, all in a single baking dish, and serves 4.

The key is to roast the vegetables first and add the fish at the end, so both are done at the same time. It is served straight from the dish with its juices and chopped parsley.

How to Make Baked Fish with Potatoes and Vegetables?

The method relies on staggered cooking at 200°C (392°F). The potatoes, onion and bell pepper roast on their own for 20 minutes, because they need more time than the fish. Then the zucchini and the fillets (reineta, hake or corvina) go in on top, and they cook in 12 to 15 minutes with the oven heat and the juices from the vegetables.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of Chilean baked fish (one 420 g serving) contains approximately 445 kcal, 38 g of protein, 17 g of total fat (2.5 g of saturated fat), 90 mg of cholesterol, 35 g of carbohydrates, 6 g of sugars and 600 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Baked Fish with Potatoes and Vegetables Recipe

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 white fish fillets, 180 g (6 oz) each
• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ají de color (Chilean sweet paprika)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Peel the potatoes and cut them into 5 mm (1/4 inch) slices. Slice the onion into thin wedges, the bell pepper into strips and the zucchini into 1 cm (3/8 inch) half moons, setting the zucchini aside. In a baking dish, toss the potatoes, onion and bell pepper with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, the oregano, salt and pepper.

2. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender when pierced with a knife. Meanwhile, pat the fillets very dry with paper towels, because excess water keeps them from browning and dilutes the flavor. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze one half and cut the other into thin slices.

3. Just before they go into the oven, season the fillets on both sides with salt, pepper, the ají de color and the lemon juice. Do not leave them marinating in lemon for more than 15 minutes, because the acid starts to cook the surface, as in a ceviche, and the fillet tends to dry out in the oven.

4. Take out the dish, add the zucchini and stir the vegetables. Lay the fillets on top, place the lemon slices over them and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness, until the flesh is opaque, flakes with a fork and reads 63°C (145°F) in the center.

5. Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 2 minutes so the juices settle. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve each fillet over a portion of vegetables, spooning over the liquid left in the bottom of the dish.

Additional Tips

Why roast the vegetables first?

Potatoes cut into 5 mm (1/4 inch) slices need about 35 minutes at 200°C (392°F) to become tender, while a 2 cm (3/4 inch) white fish fillet cooks in 12 to 15. If everything goes in together, the fish dries out before the potatoes are done. That is why the firm vegetables go first and the zucchini, which is full of water and softens quickly, goes in with the fish.

How to choose fish for baking

Reineta has thin fillets and delicate flesh, ideal for short cooking. Hake is inexpensive and very mild, but it falls apart easily, so move it as little as possible. Corvina is firmer and thicker and holds up better in the oven. Always buy fillets that smell fresh and have shiny flesh, with no dry areas or dark spots.

Should you cover the fish with foil?

Covering the dish with aluminum foil creates steam, which keeps the fish moist but prevents browning. This recipe does not need it, because the fillets rest on the vegetables and take in their moisture. If your fillets are very thin, like some reineta, you can cover them for the first 8 minutes and uncover them at the end so they take on color.

Approximate times at 200°C (392°F) with the fish on precooked vegetables; always check that the center reaches 63°C (145°F).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How long does fish take in the oven?

At 200°C (392°F), a white fish fillet 1.5 to 2 cm (5/8 to 3/4 inch) thick takes 12 to 15 minutes. A thick steak, or fish placed on cold vegetables, needs a few minutes more. The safest approach is to start checking the center at minute 10.

2. What temperature should you bake fish at?

Between 180°C and 200°C (356°F and 392°F) works well for almost any white fish. At 200°C thin fillets cook quickly and do not have time to dry out. For whole fish or very thick steaks, 180°C gives more even cooking between the center and the surface.

3. How do you know when fish is cooked?

The flesh turns from translucent to opaque white and separates into flakes when pressed with a fork. If you have a kitchen thermometer, the center should read 63°C (145°F). If the flesh still looks glossy and sticks together in the center, give it 2 or 3 more minutes and check again.

4. Can you bake frozen fish?

Yes, although the result is better if you thaw it overnight in the fridge. If you bake it frozen, rinse off the ice glaze, pat it dry and allow about half again the time shown in the table. Either way, check that the center reaches 63°C (145°F) before serving.

What Is Baked Fish with Potatoes and Vegetables?

Pescado al horno is a Chilean one dish meal of white fish fillets, usually reineta, hake or corvina, baked over potatoes, onion, bell pepper and zucchini seasoned with olive oil, garlic, oregano, ají de color and lemon. The vegetables roast first so that the fish, added for the last 12 to 15 minutes, comes out moist and flaky. It is served from the dish with its juices and parsley.

History of Baked Fish with Potatoes and Vegetables in Chile

Baked fish is an everyday dish in Chilean homes, helped by the country’s long coastline and by the daily sale of reineta, hake and corvina at farmers markets, fish markets and caletas, the small fishing coves along the coast.

It is eaten even more each year during Holy Week, when many families keep the Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Good Friday and replace it with fish and shellfish.

Did You Know?

The 63°C (145°F) center temperature used to consider fish cooked comes from United States food safety guidelines, such as those of the FDA. At that temperature the flesh is already opaque and firm. A probe kitchen thermometer is the most accurate way to check it without cutting open the fillet or overcooking it.

Recommended

• Chilean baked reineta with vegetables, a quick oven dinner
• Chilean baked hake with potatoes, a family favorite
• Chilean baked corvina with white wine and dill
• Baked sierra, a richer and firmer fish for the oven