While the Balkans may be known for their never-ending meat specialties, if you happen to be dining close to a body of water, I highly doubt the “specijalitet kuće” is anything but fish. On a trip to Vodopadi Lisine 2 years ago, our tour group stopped for lunch at “Restoran Vodopad” a kafana known for it’s pogača and fresh “Pastrmka na žaru/Riba na žaru”/trout off the grill. The pogača was baked fresh to order and their signature dish was a whole baked trout farmed by the restaurant itself. It was delicious, but I do have to admit that I prefer Cod and Salmon over other types of fish. Recently, my phone reminded me of that memory and I remembered the aromatic sauce so I’m sharing it with you today along with a quick and easy way to bake Cod.

Every time fish/Riba is served at a Balkan restaurant, you’ll most likely find the special garlic-lemon sauce to go along with it. Granted, it does depend on the region the food is from, but in Šumadija this “preliv” or sauce is a staple. This is especially true if you’re dining at someone’s house for a Lenten slava. While there are many variations of this sauce, the tried and true one made with lemon juice, garlic, and parsley is one that I make over and over again. It’s fresh, citrusy, and goes with pretty much any fish.

While I grew up eating mostly fried fish, I prefer to bake mine in the oven these days. It’s just as delicious and not to mention healthier. My favorite way to make it is to dust it in some cornflour, drizzle with a little bit of oil, and just before it’s done broil it for a few minutes. It’s delightful!

This recipe was given to me by my grandmother. She’s probably prepared more fish in her lifetime than I’ve seen in my mine!

Looking for some more entrée ideas or vegan meals? Check out the entrée and vegan section of the website!

Pecena Riba sa Prelivom / Baked Cod with Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: MainCuisine: Balkan, Serbian

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Fresh fish, juicy lemon, flavorful garlic, oh my!

Ingredients

2 fillet of Cod (any size you wish)
1/2 cup (60 g) cornflour
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1/2 teaspoon (5 g) black pepper (biber)
Oil (I use olive oil)
Garlic-Lemon Preliv/Sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon (4 g) fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon (6 g) Vegeta seasoning
4 tablespoons (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons (60 ml) oil (I use olive oil)
Pinch of salt (2-3 g)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C) and line a baking sheet with parchement paper. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl combine all of the sauce ingredients and set aside so the flavors can develop.
Remove your cod from it’s packaging and rinse in clean water. Pat dry with a paper towel and make sure it’s completely dry. Cut your fish into desired pieces.
On a large plate, pour the cornmeal, salt, and black pepper (biber). Take some additional salt and salt the fish generously to your liking, then coat the fish with the cornmeal mixture. Make sure to get into all the crevices and press the cornmeal into the fish to create a light crust.
When you’ve coated the fish, drizzle a tablespoon or so of oil onto the parchment paper. Lay the fish down, then lightly drizzle some oil over the top.
Bake the fish between 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. Then, turn on your broiler and broil the fish for 5-7 minutes to brown the top.
Serve hot with the lemon-garlic preliv/sauce and additional lemon slices on the side.