Authentic Cretan Baked Fish

Authentic Cretan baked fish is a whole fish or fish fillets baked in a sealed foil parcel on a bed of sliced potatoes and mixed vegetables, with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Cretan cooking is all about simple, good-quality ingredients simply prepared, and this recipe shows it well.

Ingredients for Authentic Cretan Baked Fish

The ingredients for Cretan baked fish are:

• 1 kilo of fish, whole or filleted (red snapper, cod or similar)
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• ½ kilo mixed vegetables (sweetcorn, red pepper and carrot, diced small)
• 3 medium potatoes, sliced thin
• Olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Authentic Cretan Baked Fish

1. Lay 2 pieces of aluminium foil across each other in a baking tray, and put the vegetables and sliced potatoes in the centre.
2. Sprinkle the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Wash and gut the fish if necessary. Use filleted fish if you don't like bones.
4. Score the fish 2 or 3 times, drizzle it with olive oil and push the garlic slices into the slits.
5. Season the fish with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
6. Put the fish on top of the vegetables and wrap the foil round to seal the parcel.
7. Bake the parcel in the oven until the potatoes are tender and the fish is cooked through.

Baked fish needs only a salad and crusty bread on the side. Our Greek salad recipe goes well with it, and more dishes are in our collection of authentic Cretan diet recipes.

The Role of Fish in the Cretan Diet

Fish is a regular part of the Cretan diet because the island is surrounded by sea. Cretans grill, fry or bake their fish simply, usually with olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs, and many families buy the day's catch at local fish markets.

Oily fish such as sardines contain the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. Under the EU's list of authorised health claims, Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, with a daily intake of 250 mg.

Fish is both an everyday meal and a dish for family gatherings, served with white wine, a salad and bread.

Common Fish in Crete

These 4 fish appear most often on Cretan menus and at fish counters:

• Sardines (sardeles) are small oily fish, usually grilled or marinated.
• Sea bream (tsipoura) has delicate, flaky flesh and suits baking with oregano and thyme.
• Sea bass (lavraki) has a mild flavour and suits both grilling and baking.
• Common dentex (synagrida) has firm, slightly sweet flesh and is often translated as red snapper on menus.

Fish Tavernas in Crete

A fish taverna in Crete is called a psarotaverna, and it serves fish caught locally, often the same day. These 3 tavernas specialise in fish:

• Patrelantonis Fish Taverna, Marathi: a seafood taverna on the beach at Marathi, on the Akrotiri side of Souda Bay near Chania.
• Taverna Argo, Elounda: a waterfront taverna serving grilled seafood.
• Sunset Fish Taverna, Bali: a fish taverna in the resort of Bali, between Rethymno and Heraklion.

Fish is the speciality in these tavernas, but it is rarely cheap. Our guide to eating out in Crete describes the different kinds of taverna and what to expect from each.