Not everyone is prepared to find a whole fish on their dinner plate. We found our underwater friend's underbite amusing; but teeth and eyeballs cause some squirm. Besides, many of us never learned what to do when presented with a whole fish for dinner. How does one go about removing the head, skin and spine in order to get to the the tender white fillet inside?
Ingredients
- 1 whole fish per person (trout and seabass work well)
- 1 potato per person, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1 clove of finely diced garlic per fish, plus extra for the potatoes
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus extra for the potatoes
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil
Directions
- Wash the exterior and the cavity of the fish under cold water.
- Coat the bottom of a baking pan or roasting pan with olive oil.
- Add the diced potatoes. Salt and pepper the potatoes liberally, and add a handful of finely mined garlic and rosemary stems.
- Rub olive oil on the skin and in the cavity of each fish, and lay them in the baking pan on top of the potatoes. Salt the cavity of each fish liberally and add the minced garlic. If you wish, you may also add some crushed red pepper. Place a sprig of rosemary inside each fish.
- Bake at 375° F for approximately 30 minutes. Once or twice during cooking, use a flat spatula to lift and turn the potatoes, being careful to not prod or poke the fish. Do not turn the fish. Cooking time will vary according to the size of the fish; it is done when the skin loosens and the meat is tender but firm to the touch.
- Your potatoes may require additional cooking time. If this is the case, remove the fish and return the baking tray to the oven until the potatoes are golden brown.