Roast Snapper With Ouzo Fish Rub

Ouzo Snapper with Fennel and Tomatoes — Photo:
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Yield:

4 servings

Whole snapper is rubbed with ouzo, a Greek licorice-scented liqueur, and roasted over a bed of tomatoes, fennel, and sweet onions in this simple yet satisfying recipe. Scoring the skin and rubbing a whole snapper with ouzo infuses the mild white fish with the liqueur’s complex licorice notes. The vegetables — tomatoes, fennel, and sweet onions — also get a splash of ouzo before roasting and offer a sweet and slightly acidic complement to the flaky fish.

Frequently asked questions

What is ouzo?

Ouzo, the national drink of Greece, is a licorice-scented liqueur made from grape must and flavored with anise or fennel seed as well as a combination of spices including coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove.

Where can I buy whole snapper?

Whole snapper can be found at fish markets and major grocery stores, such as Whole Foods. Be sure to ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the fish for you — they are often already gutted but not scaled.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Preheating the baking sheets jump-starts the roasting process, allowing the vegetables to caramelize without overcooking.

Make ahead

While this dish is best enjoyed fresh, the vegetables can be prepared through step 2 up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

Suggested pairing

We like to sip a minerally, crisp Greek white, such as Sigalas AA Assyrtiko-Athiri, with this roasted fish.

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Ingredients

2 cups cherry tomatoes
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 (2-pound) whole snapper, cleaned and scaled
3 1/2 tablespoons (1 3/4 ounces) ouzo, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons roughly chopped fennel fronds, plus more for garnish

Directions

Place two rimmed baking sheets on center oven rack. (Alternatively, arrange two oven racks as close to the center shelf as possible, and place 1 baking sheet on each rack.) Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss together tomatoes, 3 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until evenly coated. Toss together fennel, onion, 5 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a separate medium bowl until evenly coated.
Remove hot baking sheets from oven. Spread tomatoes in an even layer on 1 sheet. Spread fennel mixture in an even layer on second sheet. Return to oven, and roast at 375°F until tomatoes are blistered and beginning to burst, 30 to 35 minutes, and until fennel and onion are browned and crispy around edges, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring each halfway through roasting time. Remove from oven. Scrape tomatoes onto baking sheet with fennel mixture, and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Meanwhile, pat snapper dry. Cut off and discard fins using kitchen shears. Score both sides of fish to make 3 (about 3-inch-long, 1/4-inch-deep) slits on each side. Place fish on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Rub 2 tablespoons ouzo evenly over fish. Refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes.
Remove fish from refrigerator, and sprinkle inside and outside evenly with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Roast at 350°F until fish flakes with a fork and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 135°F, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.
Return baking sheet with vegetables to oven. Roast at 350°F until warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer warmed vegetables to a medium-size heatproof bowl. Add lemon juice, fennel fronds, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons ouzo; toss to coat.
Transfer fish to a large platter, and pull to remove and discard dorsal fin bones along top of fish. Spoon vegetable mixture over fish, and garnish with additional fennel fronds. Serve immediately.