Baked Whole Fish with Lemon & Herbs
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 2 1/2 lb whole fish cleaned & scaled*
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon thinly sliced & seeds removed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs parsley, thyme, rosemary**
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1/4 fennel thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place fish on top and make 3 crosswise slashes down to the bone on each side of the fish.
- Rub the fish with the olive oil and season with salt & pepper.
- Stuff each slash with 1 slice lemon and some herbs. Stuff the cavity with the fennel, shallot, garlic and remaining lemon slices and herbs.
- Roast for 20 minutes until the flesh is opaque. Serve with lemon. Or gremolata***.
Notes
*If you can not find one fish that is the right size for you, buy multiple fish that equal the weight that you need. With whole fish, the rule of thumb is 8 oz. or 1/2 pound per person.
**I used a combination of Italian parsley, thyme and rosemary, but you could also try oregano, chervil, sorrel, dill... you get the picture.
***Gremolata is a mixture of minced raw garlic (2 cloves), lemon zest (1 t) and chopped Italian Parlsey (3 T). Sometimes, I will also add 1 T of olive oil and sea salt. Delicious!