Bluefish with Crispy Potatoes

What can be better on a Friday night than Marcella Hazan's roasted fish with potatoes? It works with any fish that is not too dense, but it is quite incredible with bluefish. Make sure to scrape off and serve all the crispy pototoes that gets stuck to your baking dish -- that's the best part!

I strongly recommend using an adjustable Asian slicer (Benriner brand is available in many Oriental stores), or a mandolin for slicing your potatoes and garlic. It will save you tons of time and will ensure that potatoes slices are all the same thickness. If you decide to slice potatoes by hand, cut them in half, and put them on the cutting board flat side down. This will give you more stability when slicing them. Even though they'll be semi-circles, they'll taste just as good.

Fish substitutions: mackerel, cod, haddock, hake, halibut, bass, tilapia, red snapper

Serves 4

Butter for greasing the baking dish
6 medium boiling potatoes (red skinned or yukon gold)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 Lb bluefish fillet with skin

1. Set the racks in the bottom third and middle positions of your oven. Preheat to 425F.
2. Heavily butter a large shallow baking dish (about 10" x 16").
3. Peel potatoes and slice into very thin (1/8" thick circles) using an adjustable blade slicer.
4. Adjust the slicer to the thinnest possible setting and slice the garlic paper thin.
5. Season potatoes generously with salt and pepper and mix with half of sliced garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil (reserving 1 Tbsp oil for the fish). Spread evenly in the baking dish in a single overlapping layer. Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 15 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender and starting to crisp around the edges of the dish.
6. Season bluefish with salt and pepper on both sides.
7. Mix the remaining garlic, 1 Tbsp oil, lemon juice, and parsley. Pour over bluefish.
8. When potatoes are almon tender, place the bluefish on top and bake in the middle of the oven until the fish is opaque in the center, but still juicy, 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
9. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.