Whole Roasted Fish Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a food processor, combine the lemon zest and juice, the picked thyme, bay leaves and garlic and pulse until it becomes a coarse paste. Add the egg whites and puree until very frothy and foamy.
• In a large bowl combine the herb-egg white mixture with the salt and mix until it becomes a moist paste.
• Place half of the lemon slices and whole thyme in the cavity of each of the fish. On a baking sheet, place a little less than half of the salt mixture in two rows. Lay the fish on top of each row. Pack the remaining salt mixture around the fish to completely encase them, pressing the mixture firmly on the fish to create a crust.
• Roast the fish for 25 minutes. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Crack open the salt crust and brush the excess salt from the fish. Remove the top fillet, pull the spine out and remove the bottom fillet. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with foil and place in the oven; preheat to 450˚.
• Trim the fins off the fish with kitchen shears. Pat both the inside and outside of the fish dry with paper towels. Stuff the cavities with the lemon slices and thyme. Rub the olive oil on the outside of the fish and season inside and out with salt and pepper.
• Place the fish on the hot baking sheet in the oven (don't remove the baking sheet from the oven), leaving a little room between each fish. Bake until the fish is tender and it flakes at the meatiest part closest to the head, 12 to 18 minutes. Use a large metal spatula (or two smaller ones) to transfer the fish to a platter. Top with the parsley.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Make 3 diagonal slices about 1/2-inch deep on each side of the fish. Salt and olive oil the fish generously.
• Season the inside of the fish with salt and olive oil. Place 4 lemon slices, the bay leaves, a bundle of the mixed herbs and 2 of the garlic cloves inside the body cavity.
• Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil and arrange the remaining assorted herbs, lemon slices and garlic in the center of the tray and lay the fish on top.
• Fold the aluminum foil up around the sides of the fish to create a sort of baking dish. Add the white wine and place in the preheated oven and roast until the fish is just cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven, present and collect your kudos then fillet to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the fish fillet on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle it with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the top of the fillet. Lay the thyme on top and place the olives next to the fillet.
• Beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash. Brush the egg wash around the edge of the parchment paper and fold it in half. Carefully fold the edge of the parchment paper under and around the fish to make a package. Place the package on a sheet pan and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Serve hot in the parchment paper.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat fish with oil and season it generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with lemon slices and herbs. Transfer to a baking sheet or large roasting pan and bake until the flesh is opaque and separates easily from the backbone, 35 to 45 minutes for a 4-pound fish, 45 to 60 minutes for a 6-pound fish.
• While fish cooks, toss mushrooms with 3 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread mushrooms out in one layer on 1 or 2 baking sheets, taking care not to crowd them. When fish is done, remove from oven and turn on broiler. Broil mushrooms until they are crisp and golden, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Let fish rest in roasting pan for 5 minutes. Using back of a fork, scrape away fish skin and divide top fillet among plates. Lift away backbone and discard; scoop bottom fillet away from its skin (which should stick to the pan) and divide among plates. Drizzle fillets with good olive oil, season with flaky sea salt and serve with lemon wedges and crispy mushrooms on the side.

Steps:

• The fish should be cleaned and gutted but left whole. For flavor and dramatic presentation, the head should be left on the fish but you may have to remove it if the fish will not fit in your oven with the head. You will need an oven at least 20 inches wide to accommodate a whole fish larger than 6 pounds. You will also need a very large pan to hold the fish. You can improvise one using a standard 17-inch baking sheet, wrapping it in several thicknesses of heavy-duty foil and extending the foil beyond the ends of the baking sheet to create a surface that will fit the fish. Turn up the edges of the foil to catch pan juices.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Rub the fish inside and out with the olive oil. Season the cavity of the fish with salt and pepper and stuff it with the rosemary.
• Place the fish on the prepared pan, place it in the oven and roast it 5 minutes per pound. Remove the fish from the oven and turn off the oven. Cover the fish loosely with a tent of foil and allow it to rest at least 15 minutes. It can rest for up to one hour and then be served at room temperature. Alternatively, after the resting period, the fish can be returned to the oven set at the lowest possible temperature (140 to 150 degrees) and kept warm without overcooking for up to 1 hour.
• At serving time, transfer the fish to a platter and garnish with the fresh coriander.
• To serve, peel off the top layer of the skin of the fish, then, using a large fork and a spatula, carefully lift sections of the fish off the bone. When all the exposed flesh has been removed from the bone, lift off the skeleton in one piece to expose the flesh underneath. Serve portions of it, lifting it off the skin, with sauce on the side.