Whole Snapper Recipes

WHOLE ROASTED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking dish or a baking sheet with parchment paper and top with a rack.
• In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon zest, chopped thyme, garlic, chile flakes and kosher salt.
• Cut 3 diagonal slashes down to the bone on each side of the fish. Season fish all over, including inside the slashes and cavity, with mixture.
• Lay on the rack and stuff each slash and cavity with the thyme stems, sliced lemons and kumquats.
• Cook, without turning, until fish flakes with a fork and flesh is opaque in the center, about 20 minutes.
• Carve fish into four portions and transfer to plates. Drizzle with juices from the baking dish and garnish with flaky salt before serving.

WHOLE RED SNAPPER BAKED IN SALT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Rinse and dry the fish thoroughly. Whisk together the egg whites and water and combine with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Work the mixture with your hands to distribute the water and egg whites in the salt. The salt mixture should hold together when you press a mound of it together between the palms of your hands. If it doesn't, work in another egg white.
• Fill a baking dish that is 2 inches longer than the fish about 1/3 full of the salt mixture. Place the fish on top. Cover the fish with the rest of the salt mixture and smooth the salt over with a spatula. Place the fish in the oven for about 40 minutes. The only way to know whether the fish is done is by inserting an instant-read thermometer through the layer of salt and measuring the temperature of the fish. When it reaches 135 degrees F, take it out, and serve immediately.
• Bring the fish to the table on a baking sheet or on a large platter and crack it with a mallet or even a hammer. Pull back the salt layer, then peel off the skin with a fork. Serve on hot plates.

WHOLE BAKED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the fish with olive oil and place it in an oiled oval pan, gratin dish, or sheet pan. Bake for about 15 minutes per inch of thickness at the thickest part of the fish. Check for doneness by carefully sliding a paring knife into the back at the thickest part, gently lifting the top fillet, and peeking inside to make sure the fish pulls away from the bone and the flesh is opaque (but still moist) rather than translucent and raw. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon.;

BAKED WHOLE RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Clean red snapper inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Brush grapeseed oil all over the inside and outside of the fish, and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning on all sides. Insert garlic cloves, citrus slices, and thyme sprigs into the cavity of the fish. Set on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes, depending on size of the fish.

ROASTED WHOLE SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a heavy roasting pan or large cast-iron skillet, toss together the fennel, onions, 5 lemon quarters, and the wine. Rub the snapper all over with olive oil and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the herbs and the remaining lemons.
• Roast about 30 minutes (15 minutes for each inch of thickness), until the flesh just begins to flake.

WHOLE SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a large sauté pan over moderate heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup wine and the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering until the onions are tender and the wine is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter then remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice.
• Arrange the snappers, side by side, in a 12- by 18-inch or larger roasting pan. Stuff the cavity of each fish with about 1/4 cup of the onion mixture, along with the whole garlic, tomato slices, and celery. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the remaining onion mixture over the fish then pour half the lime juice on and around the fish and add 2 cups of water to the pan. Wrap the pan snugly with foil and roast for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting until the fish is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove any onion from the top of the fish then carefully transfer the fish to a large serving platter (do not discard the onion or juices remaining in the pan). Drizzle the remaining lime juice over the fish and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
• Scrape the onion and juices from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering until slightly reduced, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer.
• To Serve:
• Garnish the fish with cilantro and serve with the reduced pan sauce and lime wedges.

BAKED WHOLE RED SNAPPER WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Place 24x18-inch piece of foil on heavy large baking sheet. Butter foil. Place fish in center of foil. Season cavity of fish with garlic, lemon juice and seafood seasoning. Dot cavity with butter. Arrange thyme sprigs inside cavity. Sprinkle outside of fish with salt and pepper. Top with lemon slices. Fold edges of foil over fish; seal. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake fish until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Transfer fish to platter. Open foil.

EMERIL'S WHOLE ROASTED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Season the snappers with the salt and pepper. Place the tomato slices on the bottom of a large roasting pan in 2 columns of 4 tomato slices. Place 6 sprigs of rosemary across the each of the 2 rows of tomatoes. Lay the fish on top of the tomato slices, and divide the thyme leaves, orange zest and garlic cloves evenly over the tops of the 2 fish. Pour the wine and lemon juice around the fish, and drizzle each fish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place the fish in the oven and roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add another tablespoon of the olive oil to each of the fish. Return to the oven and continue to cook until well caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven and drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil.
• Serve immediately, with the pan drippings drizzled over the top of the fish.