Mediterranean Fish and Seafood: Simple Weeknight Recipes

Fish intimidates a lot of home cooks, which is partly a cultural habit and partly a fear of getting it wrong. The Mediterranean approach to weeknight fish is the opposite of intimidating: a whole fish baked in the oven with olive oil and herbs, sardines on toast, prawns in a tomato sauce. The cooking times are short, the techniques are forgiving, and the results are reliably good.

1. Baked Sea Bass with Lemon, Capers and Olive Oil

The simplest possible treatment for a fine fish. Whole sea bass baked in the oven with olive oil, lemon and capers is ready in 25 minutes and requires almost no preparation.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 whole sea bass (about 350g each), gutted and scaled (ask the fishmonger)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, half sliced into rounds, half kept for squeezing
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
• Salt and black pepper
• Flat-leaf parsley to finish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Score the fish 3-4 times on each side with a sharp knife - this helps the heat penetrate and allows the seasoning to get into the flesh.
2. Season the fish generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of each fish with lemon slices, garlic and herb sprigs.
3. Place in a roasting dish, drizzle generously with olive oil, scatter over the capers, and roast for 20-25 minutes until the flesh is opaque and comes away from the bone easily when pressed.
4. Squeeze lemon over the finished fish and scatter with parsley. Serve with roasted vegetables or a simple salad and bread.

Nutrition per serving: ~380 kcal | 42g protein | 22g fat | 2g carbs

2. Sardines on Toast with Capers and Lemon

Five minutes, five ingredients, complete nutrition. Tinned sardines are one of the most nutritionally dense and sustainable fish you can eat - high in omega-3s, calcium, protein and vitamin D. This is a Mediterranean pantry lunch that requires no shopping.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 x 120g tins sardines in olive oil
• 4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 1 small red onion, very finely sliced
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Drain the sardines and lay them on the toast - two or three sardines per slice, broken into pieces if they are large.
2. Scatter over the capers and red onion slices.
3. Squeeze lemon juice over the top, drizzle with olive oil, add parsley and finish with black pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving: ~420 kcal | 34g protein | 20g fat | 28g carbs

3. Prawn Saganaki (Greek Prawns in Tomato Sauce with Feta)

Saganaki is named after the small two-handled frying pan used in Greek cooking. Prawns, tomato sauce and feta baked together - rich, slightly briny and excellent with bread. Ready in 20 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g large raw prawns, peeled and deveined
• 150g feta cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley and crusty bread to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic, oregano and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Season well.
4. Nestle the prawns into the sauce and scatter over the feta. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the prawns are pink and cooked through and the feta is slightly softened.
5. Scatter with parsley and serve directly from the pan with plenty of bread.

Nutrition per serving: ~300 kcal | 26g protein | 16g fat | 12g carbs

4. Tuna Pasta with Capers, Olives and Parsley

A pantry pasta that takes 20 minutes and tastes significantly better than it has any right to given the ingredients. The key is good tinned tuna in olive oil, not brine, and not overcooking the garlic.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400g spaghetti or linguine
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 x 160g tins tuna in olive oil, drained
• 3 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 80g black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a mug of pasta water before draining.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over low heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 5-6 minutes until the garlic is pale gold and tender. Do not rush this step or let the garlic brown.
3. Add the drained tuna, breaking it into large flakes. Add the capers and olives. Warm through for 2 minutes.
4. Add the drained pasta to the pan with a splash of pasta water and the lemon juice. Toss over medium heat for 1 minute until everything is combined and the pasta is glossy.
5. Add the parsley, toss once more, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving: ~520 kcal | 32g protein | 18g fat | 60g carbs

If you want your weekly dinner rotation mapped out against your calorie targets in one go, Consillar's meal prep planner handles the planning side automatically.

On Choosing Fish

For fresh fish, look for clear eyes, firm flesh, a mild smell and bright red or pink gills - signs of freshness. For tinned fish, buy sardines and tuna in olive oil rather than brine, and choose brands that label the fish species clearly. For sustainability guidance, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification is a reliable indicator of responsibly sourced fish.

For the full context of how fish fits into the Mediterranean diet, see the Mediterranean diet beginner's guide. For pantry staples including tinned fish that make these recipes possible any night of the week, the Mediterranean pantry guide covers what to keep stocked.