Egyptian Fish and Potato Tray Bake in Tomato Sauce
Potatoes need twice the baking time of fish, so they shouldn't go into the oven together from the start. Potatoes, onions, and peppers in sauce go in first covered with foil for 30 minutes at 200 °C, and then the fish is arranged on top for 20–25 minutes uncovered. This way the potatoes cook through and absorb the sauce, while the fish stays tender and doesn't fall apart.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Calories
- 490
Photo: Muslim 23x / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egyptian_fish_stew.jpg
Fish and potato tray bake is the easiest fish dinner in the Egyptian home: tilapia or grey mullet seasoned with cumin and garlic, resting on a layer of potatoes, onions, and peppers in a red tomato sauce, without frying or standing over hot oil. And everything in the tray takes on flavor from the rest.
Method
-
1
Seasoning the fish
Score the fish 2–3 cuts on each side, and rub them with half of the garlic, half of the cumin and coriander, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the juice of 1 lemon. Leave them in the fridge until the potatoes finish their first stage. More than 30 minutes in lemon softens the flesh so it falls apart.
⏱ 5 min -
2
Cutting the vegetables
Cut the potatoes into exact half-centimeter rings, and the onions and peppers into rings. Potatoes thicker than that won't manage to cook in this time, and thinner ones will melt in the sauce.
⏱ 10 min -
3
The sauce
Mix the tomato paste, tomato juice, and water with the remaining garlic, cumin, paprika, pepper, remaining salt, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Taste it—it must have the right amount of salt because it is what will season the potatoes.
⏱ 5 min -
4
Potatoes in the oven first
Oil the tray, lay out the potatoes, onions, and peppers, and pour the sauce over them up to half the height of the vegetables only. Cover well with foil and put it in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 30 minutes. The foil traps the steam so the potatoes cook without drying out.
⏱ 30 min -
5
Potato test
Take the tray out and test the potatoes with a fork: it must enter with light resistance, not raw and not mashed—they will finish cooking with the fish. If they are still firm, return them covered for 5 minutes.
⏱ 2 min -
6
Arranging the fish
Arrange the fish over the potatoes, place tomato slices, lemon slices, and chili pepper on top, and drizzle the remaining oil. The fish sits on top of the vegetables not drowning in the sauce—this way it cooks by the steam from underneath and browns from above.
⏱ 3 min -
7
Uncovered baking
Return the tray without foil at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes for medium tilapia (12–15 minutes for thin slices or fillets). If you want a browned top, turn on the top broiler for the last 3–4 minutes and keep your eye on it.
⏱ 25 min -
8
Resting and serving
The fish is ready when the flesh is white and flakes easily with a fork at the thickest part. Sprinkle the parsley and leave the tray for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit, and serve it with white rice or Sayadieh rice and a green salad.
⏱ 5 min
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Tips that actually matter
- If you want the potatoes to be tastier and hold their shape, fry them in oil for 3 minutes before arranging them in the tray.
- Oven without a thermostat: preheat it on high for 10 minutes, and bake on medium to high on the middle rack.
- Cut large grey mullet into 3 cm slices—slices cook evenly better than a thick whole fish.
- Fresh coriander or dill instead of parsley give a different aroma—choose what your household loves.
People also ask
Why do potatoes stay raw in the fish tray?
Because they went into the oven with the fish from the start, or were cut thicker than half a centimeter, or the tray wasn't covered. Potatoes need about 50 minutes and fish only 20–25, so put the potatoes in with the sauce covered for 30 minutes first.
Why does the fish dry out or fall apart in the tray?
Reasons: baking longer than necessary, or marinating with lemon for more than half an hour, or moving the fish while hot. Medium tilapia shouldn't stay longer than 25 minutes, and remove it with a wide spatula after resting.
Can I make the fish tray with fillets instead of whole fish?
You can use tilapia fillets or any white fish fillets: arrange them over the potatoes after they are almost cooked, and bake for only 12–15 minutes because they are thin. If frozen, thaw them in the fridge and pat them dry well so their water doesn't dilute the sauce.
Can I prepare the fish tray ahead of time?
Prepare the potatoes with the sauce and put them in their first stage an hour or two ahead, and season the fish and put it in for the last 25 minutes before eating. The rest can be reheated covered with foil at 160 °C for 10 minutes—and freezing is not suitable because potatoes ruin in texture.
Cook mode
Egyptian Fish and Potato Tray Bake in Tomato Sauce
-
1
Seasoning the fish
Score the fish 2–3 cuts on each side, and rub them with half of the garlic, half of the cumin and coriander, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the juice of 1 lemon. Leave them in the fridge until the potatoes finish their first stage. More than 30 minutes in lemon softens the flesh so it falls apart.
-
2
Cutting the vegetables
Cut the potatoes into exact half-centimeter rings, and the onions and peppers into rings. Potatoes thicker than that won't manage to cook in this time, and thinner ones will melt in the sauce.
-
3
The sauce
Mix the tomato paste, tomato juice, and water with the remaining garlic, cumin, paprika, pepper, remaining salt, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Taste it—it must have the right amount of salt because it is what will season the potatoes.
-
4
Potatoes in the oven first
Oil the tray, lay out the potatoes, onions, and peppers, and pour the sauce over them up to half the height of the vegetables only. Cover well with foil and put it in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 30 minutes. The foil traps the steam so the potatoes cook without drying out.
-
5
Potato test
Take the tray out and test the potatoes with a fork: it must enter with light resistance, not raw and not mashed—they will finish cooking with the fish. If they are still firm, return them covered for 5 minutes.
-
6
Arranging the fish
Arrange the fish over the potatoes, place tomato slices, lemon slices, and chili pepper on top, and drizzle the remaining oil. The fish sits on top of the vegetables not drowning in the sauce—this way it cooks by the steam from underneath and browns from above.
-
7
Uncovered baking
Return the tray without foil at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes for medium tilapia (12–15 minutes for thin slices or fillets). If you want a browned top, turn on the top broiler for the last 3–4 minutes and keep your eye on it.
-
8
Resting and serving
The fish is ready when the flesh is white and flakes easily with a fork at the thickest part. Sprinkle the parsley and leave the tray for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit, and serve it with white rice or Sayadieh rice and a green salad.
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