Please, I beg you, do not get squeamish on me for this one. Oven roasting it whole is a great way to get a moist, flavorful fish. Some people shy away from the whole thing. I get it. It’s hard to miss the eyes, the mouth and even the tail. I will admit that this freaks me out a bit, too. It used to be worse for me but now I simply keep my focus on the body and away from the facial attributes. Most importantly, I concentrate on how to honor the fish. The whole fish; because the skin and bones not only impart deep flavors but also protect the fish from drying out by providing natural oils. Another key to increasing its savor and tender texture is stuffing the body with aromatics, such as lemon, onions and herbs. These truly perfume the inner flesh and keep it supple. Additionally, you can cook it en papillote, which mean enveloped in paper. This steams the fish locking in moisture. I simply oven roasted mine this go around.

*NOTE: When buying whole fish, to ensure it is fresh, look for these keys elements.

The fish should be bright, with a metallic luster.
The eyes should be bright, vivid, clear and bulging. If they are sunken or cloudy, it is old
The gills should be bright, wet, pink or red.
The smell should be pleasant and mild.
If the scales are still on, they should be shiny and not detach themselves.

2 fish, not in the same position as the logo for my main company, 2fish, inc, but there they are together.

I like making this for a small dinner party. It creates a lovely presentation and produces a succulent dish. I served this with green veggies, a quinoa salad and a watercress salad. If you continue to scroll down, you will find visual instructions for those dishes. These sides were ideal; light and refreshing to accompany the red snapper. Together they make for a perfect Spring meal.

And as my mom pointed out in the comments section, this method can do used with most any whole fish.

Ingredients

Red Snapper *2-3 lbs for 4 servings
2 Lemons (1 sliced, 1 in wedges for serving)**
1 small Onion
Parsley (or fresh herb of your choice)
Magic 3 (Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper)

*When buying a whole fish figure about 12 ounces to 1 pound of whole fish per person as a main course (as the fish generally yields 50 percent, thus making a 6 to 8 ounce serving) or for 2 people as a first course.

**If you are going to make the Quinoa Salad, then zest the lemon before you slice it for stuffing. Reserve the zest to season the quinoa.

Instructions

Make sure there are no scales on the outer skins of the fish.
Pat dry both the outside and inside of the fish.

I know it seems counterintuitive to make sure the fish is dry when you want it to be moist, but water just water logs the fish.

3. Cut the onion and lemon in slices

4. Brush the interior with oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper then stuff with the onion, lemon slices and parsley.

5. Place on a parchment lined baking tray and score the skin making several long slits. Brush with oil and season the outside with a good amount of pepper, and salt. You can also envelope the fish in a tin foil or parchment paper pouch for the en papillote approach.

6. Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees.

You can place the whole fish on a platter lined with greens or herbs, or you can debone it.

Serving suggestions:

Of course any sautéed green vegetable will pair nicely. I made both broccoli rabe and string beans prepared in a simple sauté of olive oil, garlic slices, salt and pepper. The other accompaniments were a side of quinoa and fresh baby watercress salad. Below are the quick visual instructions for the latter two dishes.

Quinoa with Sautéed Onions, Lemon Zest & Mint

Quinoa is a wonderful source of protein and a fairly neutral flavor that is enhanced by the addition of herbs.
Ingredients

1 c Quinoa
1/3-1/2 c chopped onion/shallot
2-3 t lemon zest
4-6 T lemon juice (depending on your taste
6-8 T mint, minced (mixed in and some for top)
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Instructions

Sauté onion and/or shallot, add the quinoa and water and cook according to the package. (I usually measure 1 cup of quinoa to 1.5 c water)
Bring to a boil, cover and lower to simmer cooking for 15-18 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.
Then zest the lemon, squeeze some of the juice, season with salt and pepper and toss in the chopped mint and fork fluff. Save some mint for the top decoration.

Baby Watercress, Avocado & Orange Segment Salad with a Citrus Dressing

When making finger sandwiches, I prefer regular watercress as it has more of a textural bite to it as well as a sharper, peppery flavor. For salad purposes I prefer Baby Watercress. It is much more delicate. This salad is all about light and bright, and the citrus does that beautifully.

Ingredients

2 bunches baby watercress
1 avocado, cut in small chunks
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 large orange, segmented

Instructions

First zest the orange and reserve for the dressing.
Then as you segment the orange do it over the dressing bowl to catch all the juices, and squeeze any juice from the remaining pulp.
Thinly slice the shallot (or red onion if that’s all you have)
Cube the avocado (squeezing some lemon to stop it from browning).
Assemble the salad in a bowl, then add orange juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil to the orange zest and whisk until emulsified. That simple.

This is a perfect Spring or Summer evening meal. It would be a lovely Sunday lunch idea, too. The fish is delicate and moist. The sides are light yet filling. The citrus brightens the whole meal up, and if you have leftovers, all this would make a wonderful taco lunch.

There are a ton of ways to say it…

Ask and you shall receive

Put it out there

Tell the universe what you want

Whatever saying you espouse, it’s all based on energy and the Laws of Attraction. If you want something, all you have to do is ask. Once you float an idea out there, the universe, full of energy, tries to provide you with the answer. I can attest to this theory in dozens of real life examples. I could go on and on about the “careful what you wish for“ statement. Which seems a bit more negative in tone than it’s true meaning. But it heeds the warning of be mindful of what you put forth because your wish will probably be granted. And so mine was. Sure, it had been brewing for some time, but the universe doesn’t have deadlines. It delivers what you need when you need it.

Now granted this is not one of those major life altering wishes. It was way more frivolous. More like a desire and Saturday morning daydream. None the less, it was a wish. I had been wanting to throw a tea party for the longest time. I know, you are thinking; Really, after all that blabber on the universe providing and it’s energy and that is what you wished for? It was. No judgement, please. However, I had two big hesitations. One, I can’t eat bread, and two, who would I invite? The latter is an easy challenge to overcome. The former, well that is another story entirely, which is why I have never thrown a tea party. BUT, out there I put the thought. Floating around like whisper waiting to be heard. And so, there was a cosmic little giggle when I was recently asked to cater a tea party. And there it was… Call it serendipity. Call it fate. Call it my prayers were answered. Call it whatever you like, but I asked and I received. And the funny part of it was, it literally answered all the challenges. Since it wasn’t MY tea party I didn’t have to eat the bread, or figure out who to invite. Talk about wishes coming true.

This is one of the easiest and most classic tea sandwiches.

Ingredients

Black Rye Bread
Watercress
English Cucumber, thin round slices

Herbed Butter, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 T chives, chopped
2 T parsley
1 T lemon juice
Lemon zest
1 t salt

Instructions

1.First things first, make the herbed butter. Start with softened room temperature unsalted butter. It is important that the butter is really soft so the added ingredients can be blended in thoroughly and easily. Chop the herbs. Then using a mixer with a paddle attachment, blend together. Add the lemon juice, zest and salt to taste, mix a bit more but do not over mix. Set aside and leave at room temperature so it is easy to spread on the bread.

The best part about this butter is that you can place it in plastic wrap, roll it up like a log and freeze. You can then slice it anytime you want. Add it to rice or noodles or to finish a steak or fish.

I made a a lot because I had to make plenty of sandwiches. I froze the leftovers

2. Wash and thoroughly dry the watercress. Thinly slice the cucumber into rounds.

3. Get all the ingredients ready, placing the bread out.

4. Heavily butter one side, then lightly butter the other side of the bread. Then place the cucumber down first.

Line everything up to create your own assembly line. Of course, I made way more than you will need, but the concept still works even for a few sandwiches.

I placed 3 slices in a row x3. This way when I cut the bread into finger sandwiches I used the cucumber rows as my guide to create 3 bite sized sandwiches.

5. Pile the watercress on top. Close the sandwich and trim the crusts. Then cut the full sandwich into smaller finger sandwich pieces. I chose to cut these into thirds. You can also cut them in quarters to create squares or on a diagonal to create diamonds. Your choice. It tastes the same no matter the shape. It’s all about your visual preference, so do what turns you on.

When only using but a few ingredients freshness is of the utmost importance.

I needed plenty of finger sandwiches for my event. Assembly line work is in my blood and makes the task go faster.

The scraps. Just as edible, if you like the crust.

This sandwich has such a wonderful flavor profile. The butter provides a huge amount by giving you sweet, salt and herbaceous notes. The watercress is slightly peppery and the cucumber is crisp and cool. The bread, well that is down right comforting while also adding an earthiness. This simple little sandwich packs a powerful big punch.

I hope your wishes all come true. Remember to be mindful of what you ask… the universe is listening.