Nototenia baked in the oven

Defrost the fish, trying not to damage it at the same time. The best way would be to defrost simply in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours (overnight). It is better not to use a microwave for defrosting, as this can significantly worsen the taste of the finished dish.

We clean the thawed fish from the entrails and scales, cut off the fins, remove the gills. Heads can be cut off, or they can be left - we focus on our own taste in this matter. The taste of the finished fish will not depend on this. We wash the carcasses under running water, dry them with paper napkins.

To make the fish fragrant, prepare a mixture of spices. To do this, in a small mortar, we grind black and allspice, sea salt and mustard, as well as some dry aromatic herbs - basil, oregano or thyme or a mix of them.

Each carcass is cut on both sides with a distance of about three centimeters. The depth of the incision is about one centimeter. Rub the carcasses with olive oil (leave a little to lubricate the baking sheet) and prepared spices, leave for 10-15 minutes so that the fish is well saturated with the flavors of seasonings. It is necessary to lubricate the carcasses both inside and outside.

Thoroughly wash the lemon under warm water using a dishwashing sponge to wash off the layer of preservative that citrus fruits are treated with to increase shelf life. Rinse the fresh herbs and dry them lightly with a paper kitchen towel. Cut the lemon into thin slices.

We cover the baking tray or baking dish with baking parchment, which we lubricate a little with olive oil left especially for this, spread lemon circles and put nototenia on top of them. In the bellies of each fish we put sprigs of fresh herbs and lemon circles. We leave a little greenery to decorate the finished dish. Sprinkle the fish on top with a spoonful of olive oil.

Bake the fish in the oven, preheated to 200 degrees, for about 25-30 minutes. We control the process ourselves, since depending on the type of oven, the fish can be cooked much earlier than the specified time.

We decorate the finished dish with fresh herbs and serve it on the table in a warm form.

Bon appetit!