Wild Striped Sea Bass Provencal

In the sunny south of France and throughout the Mediterranean, fresh fish is prepared Provencal style. Fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, black nicoise olives, lemons ,wine and fresh herbs are lavished on fresh wild striped sea bass. The dried Herbes de Provence, fragrant with lavender from the hills around Cannes, can be used if you do not have fresh herbs available, but the fresh herbs are far superior in taste, and they are much better for your health. The Wild Striped Sea Bass also has a much better flavor than the farm-raised fish, which tends to taste very bland.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of wild striped sea bass (1/2 pound per person)
3 or 4 fresh tomatoes roughly chopped
2 small onions very thinly sliced
5 or 6 green onions roughly chopped including green tops
1/4 cup pitted and sliced ot roughly chopped black nicoise olives
Juice of 2 lemons
1 large lemon very thinly sliced
1 cup of dry white wine
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
3 or 5 sprigs of fresh oregano, roughly chopped
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried Herbes de Provence (optional)
4 or 5 sprigs of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and dry the fish and place it in a heavy baking pan that has a thin coat of olive oil on the bottom or lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Make a bed of sliced thinly sliced onions and place the fish on it. Cover the fish with chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced lemons, the green onions, chopped olives and the fresh herbs. Sprinkle olive oil over the fish and pour white wine over all. Add freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes, more or less, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets.  It is done when it flakes easily.