how to bake whole fish

Like the roasted broccoli that’s on the picture with the white fish? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest recipes and tips! Place the stuffed fish on the layer of salt. Flip the fish and cook for an additional three to five minutes. Do you feel rugged and brawny, as though you were aboard the boat that reeled in this fish? First, I wish we ate more of it—while keeping an eye on making sustainable choices. This whitefish is ready in no time but is gluten-free, keto, low in carbs, and paleo. As long as the skin is edible (so, not grouper, for example), it’s a go. Once cooked, the fillets come right off the bone. Once you’ve secured your fish, it’s time to get cooking. Perfect for a special occasion, company that needs to be impressed, or just an excuse to treat yourself to a fresh catch of the day, a whole fish of your choosing is a perfect and deceitfully easy entree for the home cook to master. More about me >>. As far as the kind of fish you cook, that decision is largely up to you. If only every turkey could say the same. This baked tilapia recipe will walk you through how to cook a whole fish with easy, affordable, whole tilapia. By skipping this step, the thickest part of the meat would still be raw when the tail end might already be overcooked. Just a few ingredients bring out the incredibly whitefish flavor without overpowering it. The recipe itself requires just five minutes of prep time and only thirty minutes in the oven. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. For the longest time, cooking a whole fish was smack dab in the center of things that I was too intimidated, nervous, and frankly, a little grossed out, to try. Lay the fish onto the pan, and drizzle more oil around the outside and inside the cavity of the fish. And eating more of it means cooking more of it at home. This whitefish looks so impressive and tastes so delicious! It's important that the whole fish is covered. In retrospect, I can confidently say that this first step is the most important part of the whole process, and you’re not even the one that’s doing the dirty work. Anything this tasty, healthy, versatile, and easy to prepare is a sure-fire winner in my book! Copyright © 2008-2020 Melanie Mendelson, Star Direct Inc., All Rights Reserved |. Use a spatula or, if needed, two spatulas to flip the fish. Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. No forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time. Some HTML is OK: link, strong, em. Cajun Whitefish – blackened with the homemade spice rub, this fish … Why? Sara Tane. There’s a level of drama and sophistication that goes along with serving the entire carcass of a fish that seemed just a couple notches outside of my culinary caliber (and trust me, I have stacked bundt cakes on top of each other, so it’s safe to say my caliber isn’t exactly what you’d call weak). Rich, tender, and covered in gravy. Don’t get too carried away here and buy the biggest catch of the day—you want to impress your guests not terrify them. Comments can take a minute to appear—please be patient! The fish should be crispy on … This helps the whole fish cook evenly. Give the fish a little rub down with oil, transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet (I like to line the sheet with parchment for easier cleanup later), and roast it until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish reads about 135°F. After gathering some pro-tips from Time Inc. Food Studios recipe developer, Robin Bashinsky, I was as ready as I’d ever been to try my hand at cooking a fish—in its entirety. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes (note: if the fish is heavier than 3 lb., then it will take a little longer). And cooking it is just as easy. Southern Living is a registered trademark of, These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021, 140 Thanksgiving Side Dishes That’ll Steal the Show, 7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020, 50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime. If it's starting to stink a little, that's not a good sign. Scale 1x 2x 3x Ingredients. This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure). This baked whole whitefish is amazing! I know, with their heads and fins and tails, that may sound counter-intuitive, but there's a reason: It's much easier to judge the freshness of whole fish than fillets or steaks. Another route to take draws from Asian-inspired flavors, in which case you would stuff your cavity with lemongrass, fresh ginger, and quartered limes (Pro-tip: swap out your salt for soy sauce for added umami-rich, sodium goodness). If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. To prepare this main dish, gather your ingredients and preheat the oven. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes (note: if the fish is heavier than 3 lb., then it will take a little longer). As for serving sizes, a good rule of thumb is about 1 pound of whole fish per person, so you could do individual 1-pound fish, or split a 2-pounder between two people, and so on. All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. Now you’re ready to cook—it usually takes anywhere from 40-45 minutes at 450°, depending on the size of your fish, but it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it throughout the baking process. Put your baking sheet in the oven for thirty minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut into 1 1/2 inch wide sections and serve with lemon wedges. As for smell, a whole fish will smell like a fish, of course, but it should smell like a fish that's been recently plucked from pristine marine or fresh waters. If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment. Preparing a whole fish has never been easier or less intimidating than with this recipe for Baked Whole Whitefish. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and then spread a thin layer of the salt mixture on the bottom where the fish will lay. These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback, These sides will be the real stars of Thanksgiving dinner. Required fields are marked *, I'm Melanie, and I am so glad to see you here in my happy place! Baked Lemon Garlic Whitefish Fillets – put whitefish fillets in a casserole dish and bake with mouthwatering lemon garlic sauce! Forget the fillets for a minute and hear us out—cooking a whole fish, head, tail, body, and all, is WAY easier than you might think it is. Perfect for a special occasion, company that needs to be impressed, or just an excuse to treat yourself to a fresh catch of the day, a whole fish of your choosing is a perfect and deceitfully easy entree for the home cook … Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. Following Bashinsky’s advice, I opted for a Mediterranean-inspired flavor profile and filled the cavity with smashed garlic cloves, coarsely chopped fresh herbs (oregano, basil, parsley), and lemon slices. For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. It's important that the whole fish is covered. You could also use some cut garlic cloves or sliced segments of fennel for flavor. Remove the foil and be … | Learn more in the Comment Policy section of our Terms of Use page. Aren’t you having so much fun? The cavity is your opportunity to stuff your fish full of whatever aromatics make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, so have fun with it. Place the whole fish in an oiled heavy baking dish and place cherry tomatoes around the fish. Put the whole whitefish on a baking sheet. MyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. [Photographs: Daniel Gritzer], If there's one thing I wish I could change about the American diet, it's how we eat fish. You can really get creative with what you choose to fill it with. Also, check out these other side dishes to go with whole whitefish: If you like baked whole whitefish, you will also love these easy recipes: Your email address will not be published. Cook the fish until it's flaky and cooked throughout. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art. I've prepared many fish in my day, and this is undoubtedly my favorite way to bake a whole fish—not to mention how dramatic and fun it is to break the fish out of its salt shell! In the meantime, I can cross “whole fish” off my list of culinary conquests, and basque in all of my “hard-earned” glory. He also recommends starting with a parchment paper-lined sheet pan, and generously spreading extra virgin olive oil across it. Here’s my oven roasted broccoli recipe. By creating a barrier that prevents moisture from escaping, the fish cooks in its own moisture and is flavored by the other ingredients being used to stuff the fish. 1 large whole fish (such as mahi mahi, sea bass, or branzino), scaled and gutted; 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil*; 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced; 1 lemon, halved; handful of fresh herbs (such as rosemary and thyme) sea …