Sorry, Charlie, just seeing this now. I love baking a whole fish. Sometimes I'll just sprinkle salt and pepper, put a couple of scallions and a sprig of tarragon inside along with several sliced of lemon and bake it just like that. Those flavors cook right into the flesh of the fish.
Or, you could go a bit fancier. This was a popular dish when I was catering.
Baked Fish, Greek Style
This attractive dish has a long list of ingredients. Don’t let that put you off. Once you¹ve got the veggies chopped (you can do that way ahead!) it’s smooth sailing.
6 - 8 servings
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, cut up
¾ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh dill
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 4- to 5-pound whole fish, dressed, head & tail left on
sprigs of fresh dill or rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
vegetable oil
finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, cook onion, celery, green pepper, carrot and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil for 5 minutes. Add undrained tomatoes, wine, dill, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, drizzle inside of fish with lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put a sprig of fresh dill or rosemary inside the fish cavity.
3. Place fish in a baking pan just large enough to hold the fish comfortably. Brush the fish well with oil. Pour sauce over fish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and test for doneness. Fish should flake (but NOT easily) when tested with a fork. Serve sauce over fish. Sprinkle fresh parsley over all.
Teacher’sTip: Red snapper is the ideal fish for this dish, but if you are unable to find it, salmon, sea bass or rainbow trout can be used successfully. It IS important that your fish be the right size to feed 6 people. (You need a fish that will fit on one platter.) If you can’t find a whole fish the right size, or if the head and bones put you off, try this recipe using a large fillet of salmon or halibut (2 to 3 pound piece). You won’t have the drama of the whole fish in your presentation, but it will taste just as good!
