Easy lubina recipes

Lubina is a fish that is no longer just for Christmas. Nowadays, it can be found and enjoyed all year round. Lubina is very quick and easy to make if you are in a hurry. While if you have time, you can attempt more elaborate recipes.

Why eat lubina?

Lubina is considered a white fish, so its meat is very healthy and wholesome if you are following a low-calorie diet or if you simply want to take care of yourself. Lubina meat is very lean, so you will find high doses of high-quality proteins, vitamins and minerals; in this last group, lubina meat stands out for having high levels of potassium and calcium.

In addition, lubina has an exquisite flavour, even more so if you know how to accompany and prepare it correctly. The best thing about lubina is that it is a very versatile fish that you can prepare in the oven, as it is traditionally done. It can also be grilled and, for the more adventurous, even baked.

The best time to eat lubina is the winter months, as the quality of the lubina meat is very different to if you buy lubina in the summer.

Lubina recipes for the whole family

Lubina Donostiarra style

Ingredients

Two lubina.
Four cloves of garlic.
Two chilli peppers.
20 millilitres of white wine or cider vinegar. If you have white wine, all the better.
A sprig of fresh parsley.
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation

For this recipe, the lubina should be cooked whole, so all you need to do is ask the fishmonger to remove the entrails or do it yourself. You can remove the scales with a knife.
Preheat the oven to 200 ºC.
Grease a special ovenproof dish with olive oil.
While the oven is preheating, brown the lubina for three minutes. To do this, heat the oil in a frying pan and place the lubina skin-side up.
Place the lubina in the baking dish, which can be a tray or a special container, but on the side that you did not put on the pan, i.e. skin-side down.
Add salt and pepper on top.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Peel and slice the garlic and chop the chilli (dried or fresh).
Heat four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Use the same pan in which you browned the lubina for this.
Add the garlic and, when it starts to brown, add the chilli.
Lower the heat to medium-low.
Once the chillies and garlic are toasted, add the wine or vinegar. Important! This recipe is characterised by the fact that the pan should be moving in a swirling motion while the wine is being added.
At this point, the lubina should be ready. Carefully remove and set aside.
Use the cooking juices to add to the wine and garlic and chilli preparation.
Serve the lubina.
Chop the fresh parsley and sprinkle over the lubina.

Lubina in salt

Ingredients

Lubina fillets. The number of loins you will need depends on the number of diners.
One and a half kilos of special oven salt.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Aluminium foil.

Preparation

Be very careful, the part without the skin must not come into contact with the salt. To do this, you must line this part with aluminium foil, so that a sort of mould is created. This step should be done before placing the lubina in the oven.
Once you have made the moulds for the loins, remove them and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place the loins back in their moulds, skin-side up.
Cover the loins with the baking salt. It is advisable to moisten the salt a little so that you can handle it easily.
Bake at 190 ºC for half an hour.
Once the fish is ready, carefully remove the tray from the oven.
Use a knife to tap off the salt crust that has formed on the fish.
With the help of a kitchen brush, sweep off the excess salt so that you can remove the lubina from its mould and transfer it to the plate on which it is to be served.

Lubina in salt

Ingredients

Two whole lubina.
Two large potatoes.
One medium-sized onion.
One lemon.
Coarse salt.
Rosemary branch.
Extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation

First of all, peel and wash the potatoes and then cut them in half.
Cut the potatoes into slices. Keep in mind that the slices should be more or less the same thickness, as they will all be done at the same time.
Peel and cut the onion into julienne strips.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the potatoes and onion. The heat should be medium-low and the vegetables should cook for 15 minutes.
Season.
With the help of a brush, grease the baking dish or tray.
Set a bed of potatoes and onion, as well as the washed rosemary.
Make two cuts in the lubina.
Cut the lemon into slices and stuff them into the lubina through the cuts made on the back.
Add salt to the fish and drizzle a little oil on top.
Bake the lubina in the oven at 190 ºC for 20 minutes. The oven should be preheated to the same temperature.
After 20 minutes, check the lubina. If they are not ready, leave for another ten minutes.