Whole Baked Snapper - Herb stuffed with Garlic and Dill Butter Sauce
If you've ever been curious about cooking a whole fish, the simplest and most delicious method is to bake it whole. Baking it in its entirety retains the juiciness and tenderness of the flesh, without requiring much effort! We are using a whole snapper for this recipe, it can be applied to nearly any type of fish.
What you’ll need
- 1 whole snapper
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- bunch of fresh dill
- bunch of fresh parsley
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
Let's Cook!
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a tray with baking paper. Prepare your fish- cut all fins off the fish using scissors- both fins on the sides and the fins on the back and underside of the fish and the tail if you wish. Cut 3 slashes on each side of the fish, cutting through the flesh down to the bone.
Step 2
Season the cavity of the fish, scatter with garlic slices then stuff with the bunches of parsley and dill. Layer lemons on top of the herbs. Using kitchen string make three ties to hold fish together.
Step 3
Season the skin, sprinkle on the remaining salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Rub all over the fish, including the slashes.
Step 4
Place the fish on a prepared tray. Bake for 20 minutes. Use a small knife at one of the cut slits in the fish to prise a bit of meat gently away from the spine. If it flakes away from the bone without resistance, it's done. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving with a dill and garlic butter sauce.
