Oven-baked fish marinated in beer, with mint and mustard seeds

You can use any white fish for this recipe, or simply go with your favorite, such as pike-perch, carp, catfish, or crucian carp.

Ingredients: (for 6 servings)

• One medium-sized white fish (any white fish you like or have at home, about 2 kg)
• One large lemon
• A handful of fresh mint
• 5 large garlic cloves
• One can of beer
• Salt and pepper
• A spice mix of: basil, ground ginger, thyme, parsley
• Mustard seeds
• A little olive oil
• 6 fresh basil leaves

Preparation:
Thoroughly clean the fish, removing the head, tail, and fins. Then, cut it lengthwise along the backbone into two halves, and further divide each half into three pieces.

Peel the garlic and slice it thinly, and cut the lemon in half. In a large bowl, place the fish, drizzle with some olive oil, and squeeze the juice from half a lemon over it. Then, cut that half lemon into small pieces and add them to the bowl. Pour in the beer, add the spices, some fresh mint torn into pieces, and sprinkle in the mustard seeds. Season well with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 10–15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Prepare a non-stick skillet by adding a little olive oil. After the fish has marinated for 15 minutes, remove the pieces from the bowl, draining off the beer and lemon juice but keeping the other ingredients. Lightly sear the fish pieces on both sides in the skillet, then transfer them to a plate.

Next, prepare a baking dish. Slice the remaining half of the lemon into 6 pieces, and place a small piece of fresh mint and a basil leaf on each slice. Place a piece of fish on top of each lemon slice, skin-side down so the fat renders properly during cooking. Drizzle a little olive oil over the fish to keep it moist and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Finally, pour the remaining marinade (after draining the beer) into the baking dish.

Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.

When it’s done, remove it from the oven and transfer the fish to a serving platter, leaving the lemon slices behind. Keeping the fish on the lemon slices can make it bitter.

We served it with a strong, authentic garlic sauce made with plenty of garlic: just the way fish deserves. 🙂

If you try the recipe, let me know how you liked it! 😊

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