I have always wanted to learn how to cook a whole fish. I’ve seen them served in restaurants many times, usually with a flashy server fileting at the table. A Harrisburg (and husband) favorite is the salt-encrusted rainbow trout at the Firehouse Restaurant on N. 2nd Street. It is a long-time menu offering there.
I’m always mesmerized by the beautiful magazine photo layouts of whole fish like snapper, branzino or sea bass roasted to perfection and garnished with lemons and fresh herbs.
So I wondered—how hard could it be? I’ve prepared a great variety of dishes in my “cooking career.” But could I get by those sad fish eyes and actually cook a whole fish?
I started with Kepler’s Seafood, my regular seafood and fish vendor at the West Shore Farmers Market. From time to time, I’d seen whole fish in their case, usually red snapper or small porgies. I asked if it was possible to place an advance order for a whole fish that would serve four and was told “yes,” even a branzino if it was available during their weekly trips to Baltimore.
So, I dove right in (thinking of friends who would be up for the adventure) and ordered two whole red snappers about two pounds each. Mr. Kepler assured me that he’d clean and gut them, but advised against removing the scales for a better photographic effect. I did regret that decision. Leaving the scales intact meant that we couldn’t slice across the fish later. It was like a little coat of armor. We had no choice but to filet them.
The big day arrived, and my snappers were waiting for me at the market. I brought them home and let them rest in the refrigerator before I began the prep. When I could put it off no longer, and Megan Davis from TheBurg arrived to photograph the “festivities,” I unwrapped the fish and decided I was just fine with the heads, tails and sad eyes.
I rinsed both fish under cold running water, making sure to open the pockets and flush them well. Then I swaddled them in lots of paper towels and dried them. I decided on a recipe in an old cookbook of mine called “Savoring Italy.” It called for sea bass, but I thought that my snapper would work just as well. I stuffed the fish cavities with lots of fresh herbs and lemon slices and coated the exteriors with good olive oil, fresh lemon juice and sea salt.
Our guests arrived at the appointed time armed with a sharp boning knife and a cold Muscato wine. We were ready for our Mediterranean feast (or disaster?). I put the fish into a pre-heated, 425-degree oven for about 40 minutes. I had prepared green beans dressed with olive oil and seasoned breadcrumbs and roasted, thick, yellow-gold potato slices with rosemary and black olives to go with the fish. They were good choices.
When the fish were golden brown and flaky, we took them from the oven and began the process of fileting, or perhaps a better word would be dissecting. Because the fish were still covered with scales, it was impossible to cut through the flesh. So, our friend Arnie delicately lifted the skin away and pulled pieces of fish from the cavities. It wasn’t easy, and we ended up with chunks of fish rather than filets or slices. But it was wonderful: sweet, moist, not the least bit “fishy.” The dinner was lovely, and our friends reported that the leftovers made great fish tacos the next day.
We all had a new adventure that night and agreed that we should do it again, maybe on the grill on a warm summer night. But the scales must go.
Ingredients
- 2 whole fish about 2 pounds each, dressed with heads and tails intact and a pocket cut into the fish belly
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or oregano, or other herb of your choice
- 6 tablespoons good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (sea salt is nice)
- 2 lemons sliced
Recipe
- Rinse the fish under cold running water, making sure to open the pockets and wash them out as well.
- Dry the fish with paper towels, stuffing some into the pockets.
- When the fish are completely dry, pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice into the pockets and over the outside of the fish.
- Chop the parsley and the herbs, place them in a small bowl, and mix with the salt and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Place the herb mixture and some of the sliced lemons into each fish pocket.
- Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the outside of the fish, sprinkle with a little more salt, and top with the remaining lemons.
- Roast the fish for about 40 minutes in a pre-heated, 425-degree oven. Roast a little longer if needed until the fish flakes and the outside are golden brown. Timing will depend on the thickness of the fish.
- With a very sharp knife, remove the skin and bones as gently as you can and place the fish on a platter. (We tried to follow an Internet video but this definitely takes some practice.) Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh herbs if you have some left.
- Open several bottles of white wine, and imagine for a few minutes that you are in a little trattoria along the Mediterranean Sea.
