Psari Plaki Fish

By
Lynn Livanos Athan
Lynn Livanos Athan
First-generation Greek American, Lynn Livanos Athan has published many recipes. She has culinary school training and teaches Greek cooking.
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Updated on 01/19/23
A plate of psari plaki
Lynn Livanos Athan
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 6 servings

The term plaki (plah-KEE) in Greek is used to describe a dish that is usually cooked with olive oil, tomatoes, and vegetables in the oven. For example, you can have beans “plaki” style (called Gigandes plaki) or, in this case, a baked fish plaki. (Fish in Greek is psari, pronounced SAH-ree.)

The recipe works well with any firm white fish—cod, tilapia, halibut, haddock or whatever type you may have available. It also comes out best if you use panko breadcrumbs, which are white bread-based flaky breadcrumbs common in Asian cuisine but now widely popular in Western cooking. They have more body than the basic breadcrumbs and will create a crispier outcome. Alternatively, you can make your breadcrumbs by placing torn-up day-old bread in the food processor and processing until small crumbs form (before it becomes powder). 

This is an easy dish to assemble and results in a flavorful but light and healthy meal. It is delicious at room temperature or even cold. Serve with some feta cheese and crusty bread on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup diced celery

  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

  • 3 pounds firm white fish fillets. such as cod, halibut, tilapia

  • 1 dash salt

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 2 lemons, thinly sliced

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, panko works well

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onions and the celery until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute.

  3. Add the diced tomatoes and parsley to the pan and sauté until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.

  4. Place the fish fillets in a nonreactive baking pan or ceramic baker. Season them with salt and pepper and sprinkle with oregano on both sides.

  5. Top the fish fillets with the onion/celery/tomato mixture and cover each with 2 or 3 thin slices of lemon.

  6. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and the wine and pour over the fillets and into the pan.

  7. Top each of the fillets with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and add remaining crumbs to the liquid in the pan.

  8. Bake the fillets uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
537 Calories
21g Fat
31g Carbs
56g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 537
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 125mg 42%
Sodium 266mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 56g
Vitamin C 112mg 559%
Calcium 127mg 10%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 1190mg 25%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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