Cooking a whole fish gives extra juiciness and flavor because the skin has a thin layer of fat which keeps it juicy as opposed to fish fillets.
When perfectly cooked, becomes flaky and the meat can easily pull out from the bones. Ask any chef and they will recommend Baked Whole Fish.
Branzino(Sea bass), Mackerel, Red Snapper, Barramundi, Tilapia, Salmon, Cod, Haddock, and Sea bream are my favorites when it comes to grilling or baking. In Cameroon, we mostly eat whole fish or let me say fish with bones and not fillets. We suck and chew on the bones perfectly, but all this is based on individual preference.
The secret to enjoying a crispy skin fish is to apply enough oil or baste from time to time with oil or cooked marinade. Also, tips to prevent fish from sticking involve greasing the surface of the pan, creating a barrier between the base of the pan and the fish using lemon slices or veggies, and a rack. Here is a Video of how it’s made.
The secret to enjoying a crispy skin fish is to apply enough oil or baste from time to time with oil or cooked marinade. Also, tips to prevent fish from sticking involve greasing the surface of the pan, creating a barrier between the base of the pan and the fish using lemon slices or veggies, and a rack. Here is a Video of how it’s made.
How can you tell if the fish is FRESH?
- Smell: The most important of all. Even if you are a novice when it comes to fish, the smell will easily tell you if it’s good or not.
- Eyes: Eyes should be clear not cloudy or sunken.
- Touch skin to feel: When touched, it should be firm and not soft.
- Gill color: Gills Should be bright red not brown.
Sometimes, most of the challenges people face with fish are to gut and scale, that is taking out the belly of the fish and scales. Tell your fishmonger to gut and scale for you or buy already gutted and scaled fish.
Baked Whole Fish
Super delicious and juicy baked fish recipe, A treat to your taste buds.
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Servings: 2 People
Calories: 70kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole fish scaled and gutted
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter melted, optional
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. creole seasoning
- ½ tsp. lemon pepper contains salt and blackpepper
- ½ tsp. Seasoning Powder I used Chicken knorr seasoning or bouillon
- 1 tsp. mixed dry herbs any dry herbs
- ½ tsp. ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp fish seasoning
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Fresh cilantro or parsley
For the veggies
- 2 carrots
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven 420F. Line a tray with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix.
- Cut off all fins of fish using a kitchen sear or scissors. You can leave the tail on.
- Score the fish by making 3 or more deep slant cut on both sides till you touch bone.
- Rub the marinade on both sides of the fish making sure marinate gets deep in to the cuts.
- Cover and let it marinate in refrigerator for 30min -1 hour
- After 1 hour, bring fish out from refrigerator and prep the veggies.
- Cut veggies into squares or desired shapes and season with salt, blackpepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil.
- Transfer veggies into the baking pan and put fish ontop.
- Bake 420F for 20 mins, You can flip sides halfway through if need be. If you want the fish to have a charred look, change to broil for the remaining 5mins of each side.
Video
Notes
- Lemon Pepper already contains salt and blackpepper, so taste your seasoning to make sure of the sodium content and adjust taste. If you don't have lemon pepper seasoning, use blackpepper and salt only because, marinate already has lemon juice.
- If using salted butter, please adjust lemon pepper seasoning or salt, you will not like salty fish.
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingwithclaudy or tag #cookingwithclaudy
Nutrition
Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
