When faced with the task of preparing a whole fish, many home cooks may feel a bit overwhelmed. However, with the right approach, roasting or grilling a whole fish can be a simple and rewarding culinary experience. This comprehensive guide will provide you with step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and a selection of delicious tomato vinaigrette recipes to elevate your whole fish dish to new heights. Whether you're a novice cook or an experienced chef, this article will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to create a succulent and flavorful roasted or grilled whole fish with a vibrant tomato vinaigrette that will impress your family and friends.
Let's cook with our recipes!
ROASTED OR GRILLED WHOLE FISH WITH TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
There are a number of good reasons to roast or grill a whole fish. Fish tastes better cooked on the bone. It's just as easy as roasting meat or fowl, and is done in half the time. And a whole fish is apt to be fresher than many of the other choices at the fishmonger. A two-pound fish will serve two.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories dinner, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Rinse fish with cool water and pat dry. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Tuck thyme, rosemary and parsley sprigs in cavity of each fish. Add fennel fronds, basil leaves and lemon slices. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of fish, then place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Leave at room temperature. (May season and refrigerate fish up to 2 hours in advance. Bring to room temperature before cooking.) Heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Make the vinaigrette: Put shallot in a small serving bowl. Add vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Leave to steep 5 minutes, then whisk in olive oil. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and spoon them into the olive oil mixture. Add basil and stir gently. Leave at room temperature.
- Place fish on top shelf of oven and roast, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until fish is firm when probed and flakes at the thickest part. Take from oven and let rest 5 minutes. To serve, use a small knife, soup spoon and spatula to remove top fillets. Pull spine away to reveal bottom fillets. Transfer fillets to a platter or individual plates. Spoon a little tomato vinaigrette over each portion and pass the rest at the table.
- Alternatively, if you are grilling the fish, prepare a bed of hot coals. Make sure the grill is cleaned with a wire brush and lightly oiled. Lay the fish directly on the grill and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Do not attempt to turn fish until the skin has browned and crisped or it will stick. Carefully turn fish and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes, until fish is firm when probed and flakes at the thickest part. To serve, proceed as in Step 3.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 684, UnsaturatedFat 25 grams, Carbohydrate 11 grams, Fat 33 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 82 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 1463 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams
GRILLED WHOLE FISH, GREEN TOMATO AND HERB VINAIGRETTE AND CHARRED LEMON
Steps:
- For the green tomato and herb vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, green tomatoes, mint, parsley, tarragon, yuzu juice, rice vinegar, shallots and garlic. Mix well. Set aside.
- For the charred lemons: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Set the lemon halves cut-side down on the grill. Cook, undisturbed, until charred, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- For the grilled fish: Rub the fish with the lemon zest and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook, flipping halfway through, until the skin is crispy and charred and the flesh is flaky and opaque, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the fish to dinner plates. Serve each with a charred lemon half and a small bowl of vinaigrette on the side.
GRILLED WHOLE FISH
Cooking small whole fish, as opposed to fillets, optimizes flavor and juiciness, because the skin and a thin layer of (healthy) fat insulate the meat -- and it couldn't be easier. Mild, white-fleshed branzino is almost tailor-made for the technique: It has relatively few bones and they're simple to remove, so the fish is very easy to serve and eat.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Main Dish Recipes
Time 50m
Yield Serves 2 to 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat grill for direct-heat grilling over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, drizzle cavity of each fish with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Aromatics help keep whole fish moist while grilling. Stuff 1 fish cavity with lemon slices and dill and the other with lime slices, basil, and Thai chiles. If using just 1 filling, double amounts called for.
- Fasten each opening with a wooden skewer or toothpicks that have been soaked in water so they don't burn. This keeps the aromatics inside and also makes fish easier to handle on the grill.
- Using a paring knife, make long, 1/4-inch-deep diagonal slashes at 2-inch intervals on both sides of fish so they cook evenly throughout. This also allows any seasonings on skin (see step 5) to penetrate.
- Rub both sides of each fish with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper, working all into slashes as well as heads and tails -- both are edible, and the tail becomes delightfully crisp when grilled.
- Brush hot grill with vegetable oil; immediately place fish on grill. Cook, undisturbed and uncovered, until undersides are charred and flesh along gills on undersides turns opaque, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Turn fish with 2 large spatulas. If they stick, wait a few seconds until skin sears enough to release cleanly. Grill on other side until charred and fish are just cooked through and opaque, 5 to 7 minutes more.
- Serve fish with lemon and lime wedges and more herbs. To serve, cut fillet free from top side of fish and remove with a spatula. Remove bones to free other fillet.
GRILLED WHOLE FISH WITH ROASTED TOMATO-CHILE SAUCE
Categories Food Processor Fish Tomato Backyard BBQ Snapper Hot Pepper Summer Grill Grill/Barbecue Cilantro Tortillas Bon Appétit
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- For sauce:
- Line heavy large skillet with foil. Place tomatoes and chiles in skillet; cook over medium-high heat until skins begin to blister and blacken in spots, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes for tomatoes and 10 minutes for chiles. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Peel tomatoes; transfer to processor. Add chiles, onion, and garlic. Blend until coarse puree forms. Transfer sauce to bowl. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and salt. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
- For fish:
- Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Rinse fish inside and out with cold water; pat dry. Open fish flat, like a book. Rub fish inside and out with oil; sprinkle inside with oregano, salt, and pepper. If grilling, place fish, opened flat, in grill basket. If broiling, place fish, opened flat, on oiled rimmed baking sheet. Grill or broil fish just until opaque in center, about 6 minutes per side.
- Using spatula, transfer fish to platter. Sprinkle with lime juice; serve with tomato sauce and warm corn tortillas.
FIRE ROASTED WHOLE FLOUNDER WITH YELLOW TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
Provided by Food Network
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar and basil in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in squeeze bottles.
- Preheat grill. Brush flounder with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill on each side for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.
GRILLED HALIBUT WITH TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
This is another great recipe from "Fresh with Anna Olson". It comes from the episode "Grilling Girls". So good -
Provided by Chef mariajane
Categories Halibut
Time 16m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- TOMATO VINAIGRETTE:.
- Mark the tomatoes with an "X" at the bottom and blanch for 1 minute in boiling water. Shock tomatoes in ice water, then peel off skins (savng them). Seed tomatoes (saving the seeds, too) and finely dice the tomato.
- Stir vinegar and garlic with half of diced tomato and saved skins and seeds. Let sit for 30 minutes then strain through a cheesecloth without squeezing (to keep liquid clear).
- Dispose of tomatoes (or cook in your next pasta dish). Whisk red onion into vinegar and slowly drizzle in oil. Stir in remaining diced tomato and season to taste. Whisk before usinig.
- Preheat grill on medium high and heat a fish grill (mesh). Brush halibut fillets with oil and season lightly.
- Place thyme on grill and once it starts smoking, place halibut fillets on grill. Close lid on Barbecue and let cook for 8 minutes.
- Lift lid and turn halibut 90 degrees and close lid. Cook fish 8 more minutes, until it flakes easily when touched with a fork. Remove halibut and serve with tomato vinaigrette. Tear basil leaves over fillets immediately before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 535.6, Fat 18.5, SaturatedFat 2.6, Cholesterol 130.4, Sodium 222.1, Carbohydrate 1.9, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 1.1, Protein 85.3
GRILLED FILLET OF BEEF WITH TOMATO GINGER VINAIGRETTE
Categories Garlic Ginger Tomato Marinate Roast Backyard BBQ Beef Tenderloin Grill Chill Grill/Barbecue Gourmet
Yield Serves 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Make marinade:
- In a large jar with a tight-fitting lid combine marinade ingredients with salt and pepper to taste and shake until combined well.
- In a large resealable plastic bag combine fillet with marinade and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Turn bag several times to coat fillet with marinade and put in a shallow dish or bowl. Marinate fillet, chilled, turning bag every few hours, at least 8 hours or overnight. Let fillet stand at room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.
- Prepare grill.
- Grill fillet on an oiled rack set about 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, turning every 5 minutes to evenly sear all sides, until it registers 130°F. to 135°F. on a meat thermometer, about 25 to 30 minutes, for medium-rare. (Alternatively, fillet may be roasted in an oiled roasting pan in a preheated 500°F. oven approximately the same amount of time.) Transfer fillet to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
- Slice fillet and serve with vinaigrette.
GRILLED FISH WITH TOMATO CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE
Provided by Marian Burros
Categories dinner, easy, quick, weekday, main course
Time 15m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Either grill fish over medium-hot coals outdoors or broil it in the oven. Measure fish at thickest point and cook it 10 minutes to the inch.
- Whisk oil with vinegar and mustard. Stir in scallions, cilantro and tomatoes. Season with pepper.
- When fish is cooked, spoon some vinaigrette onto each of four dinner plates; arrange fish on top, and top with additional vinaigrette.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 339, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 43 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 87 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Choose the right fish: Select a whole fish that is fresh and has a mild flavor, such as sea bass, trout, or red snapper. The fish should be about 1 to 2 pounds in size.
- Prepare the fish: Clean the fish by removing the scales, fins, and entrails. Rinse the fish thoroughly inside and out. Pat the fish dry with paper towels.
- Season the fish: Rub the fish inside and out with a mixture of salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings. You can also stuff the fish with herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, or oregano.
- Roast or grill the fish: Preheat your oven or grill to the desired temperature. If roasting, place the fish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If grilling, grease the grates and cook the fish over medium heat. Roast or grill the fish for 15 to 20 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the fish is cooked through.
- Make the tomato vinaigrette: While the fish is cooking, make the tomato vinaigrette. Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic, and herbs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the fish: When the fish is cooked through, transfer it to a serving platter. Pour the tomato vinaigrette over the fish and serve immediately.
Conclusion:
Roasted or grilled whole fish with tomato vinaigrette is a delicious and healthy meal that is perfect for a summer dinner party. The fish is cooked to perfection and the tomato vinaigrette is a flavorful and refreshing complement. This dish is sure to impress your guests and is a great way to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer.
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