Oven-Baked John Dory | Aegean-Style Fillets with Tomatoes and Capers

Use kitchen shears to cut off the spiny dorsal fins close to the body; their stiff spines can scratch your hand. Just behind the head, follow the gill cover with a knife down to the backbone, then remove the head. The head and bones make up about two-thirds of the fish’s total weight; save them for fish stock instead of discarding them.

Lay the fish on its side and rest a thin, flexible knife against the center bone. Work toward the tail with short strokes. As long as you hear the knife tapping against the bones, you are following the right plane. Repeat on the other side to remove the second fillet, then pull out any remaining pin bones with tweezers.

Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Cut each cherry tomato into 2 halves, thinly slice the garlic, and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with half the olive oil, add the capers, and toss. Pre-bake for 8 minutes, until the tomato skins split.

Season the fillets with salt and black pepper. Place them on the hot baking sheet, skin-side up, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 12 minutes. The fillet is done when the thickest part is opaque white and flakes apart when tested with the tip of a knife.

Transfer the fillets to plates with the tomato and caper juices from the baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and squeeze lemon over them at the table.