It can be daunting to cook a whole fish, but this recipe from Tony Bilson is easy. What’s more, it looks very impressive sitting on a platter in the centre of the table, and can also be served cold or at room temperature.
Tony suggests ideally starting this dish a day ahead to allow time for soaking the saffron in the Pernod overnight.
Serves 6.
- pinch of saffron threads
- 3 tablespoons Pernod
- 1 x 1.5-2kg snapper, gilled, gutted & scaled (if you can't get snapper, try red emperor, coral trout, salmon or trout)
- salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons basil leaves, thinly sliced
- olive oil
- green salad, for serving
- crusty bread, for serving
Herbed Oil
- 200ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 golden shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon strained lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons marjoran leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, finely chopped
Soak the saffron threads in the Pernod, preferably overnight.
To make the herbed oil, combine all the ingredients and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced).
Wipe the fish with a clean, damp cloth inside and out, being sure to remove any blood from the belly cavity. Check for remaining scales and rinse the belly cavity with a little cold water to remove any traces of blood. Pat dry. Using a sharp knife, score both sides with two diagonal cuts just through to the bone. Using kitchen scissors, trim off the side, top and bottom fins. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on both sides and in the belly cavity, then place the basil in the cavity. Place the fish in a large, oiled baking dish. Place a spoonful of herbed oil in the belly cavity and spoon the rest evenly over the top of the fish. Pour the Pernod and saffron over the top.
Cook the fish for 20–30 minutes, depending on size, basting occasionally. To see if it’s cooked, gently lift the flesh around the top fin: it should be moist and come away easily from the bone. Remove the fish from the oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside for 10 minutes.
Place the fish on a large platter and spoon the cooking juices over the top. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.
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