HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE FISH
Serves: 4
HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE FISH
Ready in: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Simple and sublime; the fresh, clean, citrusy flavor of a whole roasted fish can't be beaten. We love Branzino, a.k.a. European Sea Bass, or Loup de Mer, a medium-sized, light, and flaky that has a rich, buttery texture. But you can roast any whole fish. We like the smaller-sized ones, about 1-pound is perfect, since it feeds two nicely. It's almost impossible to end up with dry, overcooked fish when cooking it whole. The bones protect the flesh from the high heat, plus they add flavor and moisture. And the high heat lends a crispiness to the skin that is super delicious. We like to simply stuff the cleaned cavity with fresh herbs and lemon slices, roast it and serve it with roasted asparagus and new potatoesTo cook a whole fish, preheat the oven to 450 F. Rinse the cleaned and gutted fish under cold water and pat it dry. Season the fish generously inside and out with sea salt and white pepper. We seasoned our fish with Fennel Pollen as well, (from Pollen Ranch) our go-to spice of choice. Its aroma and sweet, anise flavor contributes a beautiful essence to the fish. Stuff the inside of the fish with slices of lemon and/or orange (or tangerine) and a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary, or whatever you have in the garden.
Ingredients
- European Sea Bass or Loup de Mer
- garlic cloves
- citrus slices
- half a cup of white wine
Instructions
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy oven-proof skillet (we like to use cast iron). When the pan is smoking hot, lay a handful of fresh herbs into the pan to infuse the flavor into the olive oil. Once the herbs have released their flavor, for about 1 minute, remove the herbs from the pan and discard them.
- Place the fish in the pan and drizzle the top with more olive oil. Surround the fish with sliced garlic cloves and more citrus slices and pour a half cup of white wine around the fish, to add flavor and create a bit of steam. Immediately transfer the pan to your preheated oven and roast for about 12-15 minutes or until the skin is crispy and the fish is cooked through.
- This was all that was left at the end of the meal that Lana and I made…so you can rest assured that it was a great success. You should try it; it's delicious!