Spanish-style baked jewfish (mulloway) cutlets with a parsley-garlic-almond crust + a tomato bath. The herb crust is the hero — fragrant, slightly crunchy, deeply Mediterranean. The tomato bath keeps the fish moist + creates a beautiful sauce. 25 minutes total in the oven.

Mulloway is the king of Aussie estuary fish — sweet, firm, slightly sweet flesh. Treat it well + this dish becomes the celebration dinner of the trip.

Photo by Ulvi Safari on Unsplash

Serves: 4 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Equipment: shallow ovenproof dish, oven (or covered camp oven over coals)

Photo: Bakd&Raw by Karolin Baitinger / Unsplash

• 4 jewfish (mulloway) cutlets, ~250g each
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds (toasted is even better)
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• ½ tsp ground paprika (smoked or sweet)
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes, DRAINED
• Salt + cracked black pepper

Optional add-ins: 2 tbsp pine nuts (in addition to almonds); pinch chilli flakes; ¼ cup white wine added with tomatoes; black olives.

To serve: crusty sourdough, lemon wedges, dressed green salad, baby new potatoes, OR couscous.

Substitute fish: snapper cutlets, kingfish cutlets, salmon steaks, blue-eye trevalla, mahi-mahi.

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly brush a shallow ovenproof dish with olive oil.

2. Arrange the fish. Lay the jewfish cutlets in the dish in a single layer. Brush the TOP of each cutlet with HALF the olive oil (about 1.5 tbsp).

3. Make the herb crust. In a small bowl, combine parsley, crushed garlic, slivered almonds, spring onion, paprika, lemon zest + the REMAINING olive oil (1.5 tbsp). Mix well.

4. Top the fish. Spoon the herb mixture over each cutlet. Press it down firmly so it sticks to the fish.

5. Bake for 10 minutes uncovered (or covered if using camp oven).

6. Add the tomatoes. Pour the drained chopped tomatoes around the fish (NOT on top — keep the herb crust dry). Season the tomatoes with salt + pepper.

7. Continue cooking 10 more minutes — until the fish is cooked through (flesh flakes easily with a fork) + the tomatoes have warmed + thickened slightly.

8. Test for doneness: internal temperature 60°C; flesh opaque + flakes when prodded with a fork. Don't overcook — jewfish is best slightly under, finished by carry-over heat.

9. Plate up. Lift each cutlet onto a warm plate with a slotted spoon (so you don't drown it in tomato). Spoon some tomato around the fish. Serve immediately with crusty bread to mop the tomato.

• Mulloway / jewfish quality matters most. Fresh-caught + cooked-same-day is in a different league to anything bought 2 days old
• Toast the almonds first for max flavour — dry pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until golden + fragrant
• Drain the tomatoes WELL — too much liquid = boiled fish instead of baked
• Smoked paprika elevates the dish — adds Spanish smokiness. Try Pimentón de la Vera if you can find it
• Cutlets vs fillets: cutlets (cross-section through the bone) have great structure for this technique. Fillets work too — reduce cook time to 12-15 minutes total
• White wine upgrade: add ¼ cup dry white wine with the tomatoes — adds complexity
• Camp version: works perfectly in a camp oven with the lid on; coals on top + below at moderate heat. About 20-25 minutes total
• Other fish: snapper cutlets are ideal; salmon steaks brilliant; even thick blue-eye trevalla portions
• Vegetable side: baby spinach wilted in the residual oven heat with garlic; or roasted asparagus
• Wine pairing: dry rosé OR a crisp Spanish white (verdejo, albariño)
• Leftovers: rare with good fish — but if you have any, flake into a salad with fresh tomato + the leftover herb mix

The Spanish-style fish dish that turns a great catch into a great dinner. Mulloway deserves this kind of preparation — the herb crust + tomato bath complement the fish without overpowering. Restaurant quality with home cooking.

If you've caught a decent jewfish, this is the recipe to use. Photograph the result + send to your jealous mates. Pair with cold white wine + crusty bread + you've got the celebration dinner of the fishing trip.