Sheet Pan Lemon Sumac Fish Bake 🐟🍋

Description

Flaky white fish baked over a bed of tender potatoes, onions and peppers in a bright lemon–sumac garlic sauce, all on one easy tray. 🍽️

Hook
Big citrusy flavor, minimal cleanup, one pan loaded with lemon-sumac fish and veggies ready for the table. ✨

Ingredients

• 🐟 Firm white fish fillets (cod, haddock or hake), skinless: 600 g (about 4 fillets / 1⅓ lb)
• 🧂 Fine salt for brine: 12 g (2 tsp / 0.4 oz)
• 💧 Cold water for brine: 1 l (4 cups / 34 fl oz)
• 🥔 Waxy potatoes, sliced ½ cm (¼ in): 600 g (about 4 medium / 4 cups / 1⅓ lb)
• 🧅 Red onion, thin wedges: 150 g (1 cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🫑 Red bell pepper, strips: 100 g (1 cup / 3.5 oz)
• 🌶️ Mild green chili, sliced, optional: 15 g (1 tbsp / 0.5 oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, finely grated: 12 g (3 cloves / 0.4 oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice: 45 ml (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🍋 Lemon zest, finely grated: 1 tsp (from 1 lemon / 2 g / 0.07 oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt for sauce: 4 g (¾ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• ⚫ Ground black pepper: 1 g (¼ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🧂 Ground sumac: 8 g (1½ tbsp / 0.28 oz)
• 🌿 Ground cumin: 2 g (½ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🫒 Extra-virgin olive oil: 75 ml (5 tbsp / 2.5 fl oz)
• 🌿 Fresh parsley, finely chopped (for serving): 10 g (¼ cup / 0.35 oz)
• 🧂 Extra pinch of sumac for serving, optional: 1 g (¼ tsp / 0.04 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Brine the fish
2. In a medium bowl dissolve the salt for brine in the cold water. Add the fish fillets, making sure they are fully submerged, and leave for 10 minutes at room temperature. Drain, rinse quickly under cold water, then pat the fish very dry on all sides with paper towels.
3. 2️⃣ Prepare the tray
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly oil a large baking tray about 30×40 cm (12×16 in). Spread the potato slices in an even layer. Scatter the red onion wedges, red bell pepper strips and sliced green chili over the potatoes.
5. 3️⃣ Make the lemon–sumac sauce
6. In a small bowl whisk together the grated garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt for sauce, black pepper, sumac, cumin and olive oil until the mixture looks smooth and slightly thick.
7. 4️⃣ Coat the vegetables
8. Spoon about half of the lemon–sumac sauce over the vegetables on the tray. Toss gently with your hands so every piece is lightly coated, then spread everything back into an even layer so the potatoes have good contact with the tray.
9. 5️⃣ Roast the vegetables
10. Place the tray in the oven and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes, until the potatoes start to soften and the edges of the onions take on a little color.
11. 6️⃣ Add the fish
12. Remove the tray from the oven. Lay the brined, dried fish fillets on top of the vegetables. Spoon the remaining lemon–sumac sauce evenly over the fish and drizzle any extra over the potatoes and onions.
13. 7️⃣ Finish baking
14. Return the tray to the oven and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10–12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the potatoes are fully tender.
15. 8️⃣ Rest and garnish
16. Let the tray rest for 5 minutes so the juices settle. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top and add an extra pinch of sumac if you like a stronger lemony note.
17. 9️⃣ Serve
18. Scoop a bed of vegetables onto each plate, top with a fillet of lemon-sumac fish and spoon some of the pan juices over everything before serving.

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 30 min
😌 Rest: 5 min
🕒 Total: 55 min

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