Fish consumption is up, and rightfully so; fish and seafood are part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. However, overfishing has led to the creation of fish farms, which unfortunately, may not be the healthiest thing for us or the fish. Farmed fish run the risk of being contaminated by their farm's waste run-off, plus some farmed fish are fed a diet that includes corn. Corn!?!?!
Try the following recipe using wild whole fish, preferably caught using sustainable methods. Become friends with your fishmonger; he should be able to answer all your questions about the provenance, freshness, and flavor of what you are purchasing.
Whole Fish Baked In Foil
- At the store, ask the fishmonger to clean the whole fish, leaving the head and tail on. (When purchasing, figure about 1 lb. of fish per person.) Any whole white fish (i.e. red snapper, sea bass, and striped bass) works fine.
- When you get home, make sure to puncture some holes in the packaging, which gives the fish some air to breathe (metaphorically). Keep the fish in the refrigerator until about an hour before you are ready to prepare it.
- Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees. Lay a piece of foil (big enough to wrap the fish) on a baking sheet. Butter or oil the foil. Place several slices of lemon on the foil, and then put the fish on the lemon slices. Put some or all of the following in the fish's cavity and around the fish: whole scallions, parsley, sliced red peppers and zucchini, thinly-sliced carrots, lemon slices, and two tablespoons of butter. Add some liquid (lemon juice, olive oil, white wine, etc.) and make sure to wrap the fish well with more foil, creating a package around the fish. Put the wrapped fish (on the baking sheet) into the oven.
- Cook until the meat is white and tender down to the bone. Figure about 40 minutes for a 2 lb. fish, but cooking time will vary depending on the size of the fish and the "real" temperature of the oven. (Oven temperatures vary greatly.) The fish is done when the knife punctures the skin and meat easily down to the bone. You are looking for a white, cooked color in the fish meat. Also, don't forget about carryover cooking.
