Greek Baked Bonito With Herbs & Potatoes (Palamitha sto Fourno)

By
Nancy Gaifyllia
Nancy Gaifyllia
A resident of Greece, Nancy Gaifyllia is a cook who writes about the country's regional specialties.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/8/21
Baked Bonito with Herbs & Potatoes

Getty Images / Creativ Studio Heinemann

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1063 Calories
24g Fat
60g Carbs
149g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 1063
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 345mg 115%
Sodium 16059mg 698%
Total Carbohydrate 60g 22%
Dietary Fiber 9g 31%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 149g
Vitamin C 110mg 552%
Calcium 441mg 34%
Iron 9mg 49%
Potassium 4610mg 98%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This baked bonito with herbs and potatoes recipe is known as palamitha sto fourno (pah-lah-MEE-thah stoh FOOR-no) or παλαμίδα στο φούρνο in Greek.

Bonito, a member of the mackerel family, is a favorite in many Greek homes. Bonito has no scales, so not only is it much easier to clean, it's great for those with allergies to fish scales.

This is a one-pot meal that requires only a vegetable or a leafy green salad and crusty bread for a special meal that's fancy enough for company.

Ingredients

  • 1 (3-pound) whole bonito

  • Sea salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Greek oregano, to taste

  • 5 to 6 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 2 1/2 pounds potatoes

  • Cooking spray

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 2 lemons, juiced

  • 1 1/3 cups water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat oven to 355 F (180 C).

  3. Remove and discard the head and intestines from the fish.

  4. Carefully cut the fish in half lengthwise, cutting along the back and removing the bloodline.

  5. Rinse fish briefly and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano.

  6. Insert slices of garlic into the meatiest parts of the fish.

  7. Peel potatoes and cut into equal-sized, wedge-shaped pieces.

  8. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano.

  9. Lightly spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Add fish, skin-side down, and surround it with the potatoes.

  10. Sprinkle any remaining slices of garlic over the potatoes.

  11. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and lemon juice. Pour it over the fish and potatoes and add water.

  12. Bake at 355 F (180 C) for 1 1/2 hours. When fish flakes easily with a fork, it is done. Wait 5 minutes, remove from the pan and arrange on a platter surrounded by the potatoes.

  13. Serve and enjoy.

More About Bonito

Bonito is a delicious dark-fleshed fish similar in taste to tuna and really doesn't need a lot of flourish—simple, light seasonings work best.

Variations

For bonito with a Mexican flair, in a small bowl, combine chipotle chiles, crushed garlic, Mexican oregano, salt, lime juice, and olive oil to form a paste. Rub it into the cleaned and dressed fish. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or two before grilling.

Meanwhile, fire up the grill, oil the grates, and cook the fish, skin-side down over direct heat for about 3 minutes. Flip the fish over and cook an extra minute so that it is still slightly pink inside for medium-rare or 3 more minutes for medium.

Grilled bonito would make a great fish taco on flour tortillas with finely shredded white cabbage, hot sauce, crema or sour cream, thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced green onion, chopped cilantro leaves, and tomato salsa. If the skin hasn't crisped up, remove it before placing it in the tortillas.

READ NEXT: New to Cooking Fish and Seafood? Learn the Secret

Recipe Tags: