Whole Baked Fish Recipe

Clean and wipe the fish dry, remove any scales left by fish shop. Put the fish into a large shallow baking dish, large enough to let the fish lie flat. Peel the potatoes and slice them very thin. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, count to 10, lift out and slip off the skins, cut into thick slices or wedges. Peel the onion and garlic and chop them roughly. Surround the fish with the vegetables. Drizzle over the wine and oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Break each bay leaf in two and add dotted around with thyme. Top with sliced lemons. Cover with buttered paper or foil and bake in a moderate oven 180C (350F) for about 1 hour. Lift fish on to heated serving plate, keep warm. Place vegetables over high heat to reduce liquid and finish cooking the potatoes. Serve as an accompaniment to the fish.