This is a recipe we made a couple of weeks ago, but I hadn’t had time to write it up. Where did it come from? You could say it’s a dish inspired by some photos and recipes we’ve seen and read here and there.
Blanquillo (Chilean tilefish) is a saltwater fish that appears in many dishes. However, when we were buying it, the supermarket staff told us that what they sometimes sell as blanquillo is actually a different fish, generically known as Pangasius, most likely Pangasius hypophthalmus. Since we were craving fish, we decided to take the chance and make this recipe without being quite sure whether we were buying blanquillo or Pangasius.
Worried that it might turn out a little dry in the oven, we decided to make it with plenty of vegetables, so we baked it on a bed of tomatoes, olives and onions.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 4 large skinless, boneless blanquillo or Pangasius fillets
- 2 tomatoes
- Pitted sliced black olives (green ones work too)
- 1 large onion or 2 small ones
- A little dill
- Salt and pepper
- Oil
- 4 to 6 large unpeeled potatoes
Preparation
Golden potato base
Wash the potatoes thoroughly and boil them in their skins in a regular pot or pressure cooker, checking from time to time until they are tender. Turn off the heat and drain them. Cut the potatoes into slices about 1 centimeter thick and fry them in plenty of oil, turning them so that both sides are golden.
Baked fish
Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil into a baking dish. Peel the onion, slice it thinly into julienne strips and spread it evenly over the bottom of the dish. Lay the fish fillets, seasoned with salt and a little dill, on top of the onion.
Dice the tomatoes into cubes of about 1 centimeter and spread them evenly over the fillets. Do the same with the olives. Season the topped fillets with salt and pepper and bake at 150–180 °C for about 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Add water to the dish during cooking if needed.
Serving
Arrange 4 to 6 slices of hot golden potatoes on a plate as a base, place a fish fillet with its vegetables on top, and serve. Spoon over a little of the cooking juices from the dish.
Wine pairing
Blanquillo / Pangasius is a fairly delicate fish with a mild flavor. Together with the freshness of the tomato and, to a lesser extent, the olives, this calls for a wine with a fresh palate: perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc or a Sémillon, or, as a third option, an unoaked Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel tanks.