Name: Dutch Oven Bread Fish Bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 5 cups stale bread; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 3 sprigs curly parsley (finely chopped); 2 pounds white fish; salt and pepper (to taste); 1/2 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons butter

Perfect after a long day of fishing, this Bread Fish Bake uses stale bread and delicate seasonings to cook any white fish in a Dutch oven. A layer of seasoned breadcrumbs is pressed into the bottom of the Dutch oven, then fresh fish and more breadcrumbs are placed on top. It is all drizzled with olive oil and then baked until cooked through.

The mild seasonings of parsley and garlic are there to complement rather than overpower the delicate flavor of a white fish. These flavors and the cooking style are influenced by a dish in Italy known as Fish Grate’ or Gratinato. You can use other fresh herbs, like oregano, marjoram, basil, or chives.

Stale bread is a common problem camping after a day or so, making this dish a useful recipe. Rather than throwing the bread away, repurpose it in this satisfying meal. The dish is even more satisfying if you caught the fish yourself.

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Fish sitting in a bed of seasoned breadcrumbs being flaked with a camp fork.

The fish is cooked when it easily flakes with a fork.

A Dutch oven with a layer of seasoned bread topped with fillets of white fish.

After adding half of the bread mixture, the fish is added before adding the remaining bread mixture to enclose the fish completely in bread.

Finley diced parsley and garlic siting on top of cubed stale bread.

For the seasoning to work it needs to be very finely diced before being mixed through the bread.

A close up shot of finely diced bread cubes with fresh parsley and cubes of butter on top.

Butter is cubed on top of the seasoned bread. It melts though during the baking process.

Looking into a Dutch oven with the seasoned, golden brown breadcrumbs inside.

A layer of seasoned breadcrumbs encloses the white fish as it bakes in the Dutch oven.

Looking down into a Dutch oven with fillets of white fish sitting on top of seasoned breadcrumbs.

Though the ingredients are quite simple, the final dish is rich and aromatic.

Dutch Oven Bread Fish Bake Recipe

Saffron Hodgson

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Perfect after a long day of fishing, this bread fish bake uses stale bread and delicate seasonings to cook any white fish in a Dutch oven.

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Preparation 20

Cook 45

Ready in 1 5

Servings Servings

CourseDinner

InfluenceItaly

DifficultySeasoned

MethodBake

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Ingredients

5 cups stale bread
2 cloves garlic minced
3 sprigs curly parsley finely chopped
2 pounds white fish
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons butter

Equipment

large bowl
12 inch Dutch oven

Directions

Break the stale bread down into small pieces and place it in a bowl.
Add to the bread the garlic and parsley, then mix until well combined.
In a Dutch oven preheated to about 350 degrees F (180 degrees C), add half the bread mixture and flatten.
Place the fish on top of the bread then season with salt and pepper.
Place the remaining bread mixture on the top of the fish.
Drizzle with the olive oil and add small cubes of butter across the top of the bread mixture.
Return the Dutch oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and cook for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes check that the fish is cooked through and flaking. If cooked serve, if not return to cook until done.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 888kcalCarbohydrates: 98gProtein: 51gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 1250mgPotassium: 824mgFiber: 8gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 221IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 292mgIron: 8mg