Roasted Whole Fish

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Roasting requires less prep than salt-baking, and less attention while cooking than grilling, plus it's quicker than both of those methods. 

By
Dave Pasternack
Dave Pasternack

Dave Pasternack is a James Beard Award-winning chef renowned for his seafood expertise and for introducing crudo to the American culinary lexicon, first served at his acclaimed New York City restaurant Esca in 2000. Called "the fish whisperer" by The New York Times, Pasternak co-authored the bestselling cookbook The Young Man and the Sea (2007).

Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on June 29, 2016
Roasted Whole Fish
Photo: © John Kernick
Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Yield:
4
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • One 4-pound fish, such as red snapper or sea bass, cleaned and scaled

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 8 parsley stems

  • 3 crushed garlic cloves

  • 6 halved lemon slices

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Let the fish stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

  2. Set the fish in a large, shallow roasting pan. Brush all over with the oil and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the parsley stems, garlic and lemon. Add the wine to the pan.

  3. Roast the fish in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, occasionally spooning the pan juices over the fish. The fish is done when the flesh is white throughout and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part near the head registers 135°. Let the fish stand for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a large platter and spoon the pan juices on top.

Originally appeared: October 2013

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