Snapper and Winter Veggies with Dill & Caper Drizzle - ONE TRAY BAKE
Fish and dill are easily two of the most well known “best friends” of the foodie world. This works well for me, because at the moment I have a real thing for dill in particular. I am also a long time lover of capers. They are yet another “best friend” of both fish and dill, which makes this meal one of my favourites. Let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong when you’re working with this flavour trio, not matter what you do.
Isn’t it crazy when sometimes it feels like there’s even less time than usual in a day. Whether it’s because work is out of control, life is busy or, you know, you’ve got a new baby on your hands like me, it’s suddenly night time, you’ve done what feels like NOTHING all day and now you’re starving. You don’t feel like UberEats yet again, but want something quick, easy, delicious and - let’s face it - ready with MINIMAL mess to deal with afterwards.
The solution?
One. Tray. Bakes.
Nothing gets easier than that.
There’s no real rules.
Just buy whatever is in season.
Chop everything up, place it all on a tray and bake away till the feast is on its way to perfection. Add extra ingredients later in the baking process that take less time to cook and that’s as ‘tricky’ as it gets. You then wait until everything is all done and there you have it: dinner is served.
The combinations are endless, with a few of my staples including;
- Baked Veggies and Sausages
- Baked Potatoes, Asparagus and Salmon
- Chicken with Cauliflower and Pomegranate
To spice things up, make a drizzle, sauce or flavoured butter to add to the baked goodness when it comes out of the oven. Everything gets an extra flavour pop by doing this and makes a simple dinner come to life. Enough so that it’s then even nice enough to throw the One Tray Bake on the table as a centrepiece for a shared meal with friends.
This particular One Tray Bake is a recent dish made with seasonal veggies and locally caught fish from the Northern Rivers. You can easily replicate it, change the fish to one you’re able to source, or simply use the recipe as inspiration for creating your own version altogether.
You’re definitely going to love making and eating this one as much, and as often, as we do. It can’t be any easier.
SNAPPER AND WINTER VEGGIES WITH DILL & CAPER DRIZZLE
One Tray Bake
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
6-8 potatoes, cut into quarters
2 fresh fennel (3-4 if smaller), stalks removed and cut into quarters
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, bases of tomatoes scored
2 large handfuls, fresh green beans
4-6 fresh snapper fillets. We used Flame Tail
DILL & CAPER DRIZZLE
3-4 tablespoons, olive oil
Juice of half a fresh lemon
2 tablespoons, baby capers
1-2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 tablespoons, fresh dill, finely chopped (plus extra)
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a tray with baking paper.
2. Toss the cut potato and fennel wedges with a dash of olive oil and season. Scatter across the tray and place in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes.
3. Remove the tray from the oven. Toss the cherry tomatoes and green beans with a dash of olive oil and season. Scatter the tomatoes and beans evenly around the outer area of the tray, directly over the potatoes and fennel. Place back into the over for 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove the tray from the oven again. Lay your fish fillets gently, skin side up, over the potatoes and fennel in the middle of the tray. Place back into the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through.
NOTE I quickly seared the skin of the snapper fillets before removing the tray from the oven and placing the fillets on it to bake. I did this to make my fish skin crispy, drizzling it with olive oil prior to searing in a pan. I then seasoned it with salt and pepper before baking. I usually have skinless fish to avoid this step or dismiss it altogether when wanting a quick meal, but if you have time, it is quick, easy and does make the fish skin super delish.
5. While the fish is baking, add all ingredients for the Dill and Caper Drizzle to a bowl and mix well. Set aside for serving.
6. Remove the One Tray Bake from the oven. Scatter excess dill over the One Tray Bake and serve with the Dill and Caper Drizzle.
Enjoy!
WINE SUGGESTION
The flavours of this particular One Tray Bake were screaming for a chilled bottle of Capel Vale 2011 Riesling from the Margaret River Region. We obliged and weren’t even slightly sorry.
Such a great wine in general and the perfect match for this fish dish.
Hope on over to their website (here: Capel Vale) to order some for yourself. They make amazing wines. My family loves their Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon too.
Don’t worry, you can thank me later for this hot wine tip. You’re welcome!
Other great Riesling’s to keep an eye out for, if you’re in a rush and don’t have time to source Capel Vale, include Rieslings by; Jim Barry, Rockford and Pewsey Vale. Delish!
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