Whole roast pollack with garden herbs & pancetta

Winter

This is another beautifully simple one-tray supper that is as big on flavour as it is quick to prepare. You can buy really good-quality pancetta made from free-range pork in independent delis and at deli counters in supermarkets. Look out for the stuff with a generous marbling of fat, which brings so much flavour and sweetness to the fish. And use plenty of herbs – they are so fantastic with fish, the more the merrier. Don’t chop them, just throw them all in. They become crunchy and delicate and add extra dimension to this rustic roast.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 whole pollack (1–1.5kg/2lb 4oz–3lb 5oz), scaled, gutted and cleaned
  • 100g (3½oz) fatty pancetta, cut into chunky lardons
  • 1 small bunch of mixed herbs, such as bay leaves, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley leaves, fennel tops, chives
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Select a roasting tray that provides a snug fit for your fish. Scatter over the pancetta pieces and the hard perennial herbs (the bay leaves, rosemary, sage and thyme). Drizzle over the olive oil, then season well with salt and pepper. Place the fish in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, until the fish is cooked through (you can test this by inserting the tip of a small paring knife into the thickest part of the fish and seeing if the flesh comes away from the bone).

While the fish is roasting, prepare the tender herbs (the parsley, fennel tops, and chives) ready to scatter over the fish when it comes out of the oven: slice the chives thinly, and chop the parsley leaves and fennel tops, then put them in a bowl and combine thoroughly.

As soon as the fish is cooked, remove it from the oven and scatter over these herbs while it’s still in the tray.

Bring the whole roasting tray to the table. Use a knife and small spatula to lift generous portions of fish from the bone and place it onto the individual plates. Spoon over any loose herbs that remain in the tray, as well as the crisped pancetta and any well-flavoured, rich, herby roasting juices. Serve straight away with hunks of good-quality bread, new potatoes and a nice green salad.

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