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[ articles | activities | features | links ] Thursday, January 1, 2004 Cooking whole fish catches onBy JEWEL CAMMARANO For many Central Florida anglers, the sport includes cooking the catch. During the winter months, those fishing off a pier, in a boat offshore, or in the surf along the beach, can bring many species to the table cooked to perfection. Oftentimes, catching fish requires more skill than cooking it, especially when it is prepared as steaks and filets. But, lately, a new trend in fish cookery is becoming popular, as celebrity chefs on television cooking shows demonstrate. More and more, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay and Mario Batali, as well as some adventurous cooks looking for a challenge, are finding there is no better reward than cooking the fish whole. If the idea of handling and cooking your catch whole is intimidating, remember cooking the fish pretty much as it comes out of the ocean really captures the spirit of “freshly caught fish.” We watch with awe as Emeril bakes it in a salt coating, Bobby cooks it on a grill and Mario dresses it with herbs and a generous helping of extra-virgin olive oil. With attention to a few basics and a chosen cooking method that´s right for the size and variety of your catch, you also can give the sweet taste of victory to your daily toil. Preparing a fish whole is well worth the effort, simply because it´s about eating something that actually looks like what it is. It can be prepared baked, broiled, steamed, grilled, smoked or even fried and recipes and ingredients can be simple or sophisticated. While red snapper (my favorite) will give you excellent results, you can use any other whole fish instead. Black sea bass, pompano, sheepshead, king mackerel, whiting and smaller-sized grouper are some species that are available this time of year. As size is a consideration when it comes to certain fish and their flavor, I find that most species between 1 and 4 pounds are excellent to cook whole and easiest to handle. The exception to this is grouper, which are larger, but they are always a wonderful-eating fish whatever their size. Proper handling is most important to preserve the fresh quality of your fish. This should start as soon as it is caught, by making sure your catch stays cold and out of the sun. Since fish can bruise easily, it is important to handle the fish with care. Clean, dress and wash the fish as soon as possible and keep it on ice until you can store it, securely wrapped in the coldest part of your refrigerator. To dress a whole fish for cooking, the scales and entrails are removed. Wash the fish in cold water for a few minutes for easier scaling. Remove scales by scraping gently in the direction from the tail to the head. Remove the entrails after cutting the entire length of the belly from vent to head. Rinse in cold running water once more to remove any blood or membranes. Although removing the head and fins is optional, I leave these intact. Not only does this add to the presentation of the dish, but results in a moister and more flavorful fish. Wrap in plastic and keep your whole fish as cold as possible until you are ready to cook it. It is best used within 1 to 2 days for the ultimate flavor and texture. For longer storage, freeze it up to six months. When you calculate how many different varieties of fish can be cooked in so many different ways, you end up with numerous choices. Factor in seasonings and sauces, and you have an endless number of recipes. Consider the following foolproof cooking methods: OVEN-ROASTED: Baked at 350 to 400 degrees. An excellent way to estimate cooking time is to use the “10-minute rule.” Measure your prepared fish at its thickest point. Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes per inch, turning about halfway through cooking time. For example: a 1-inch-thick fish should be cooked 5 minutes on each side. Add 5 minutes to the cooking time if cooking in foil or coating fish with sauce. To properly estimate serving sizes of whole fish, figure on 3/4 to 1 pound per person and don´t ever worry about cooking too much fish. Leftovers make wonderful fish chowder, fish cakes and fish dips for the following day. Simply remove and discard the bones, cover the fish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Since I take a great deal of pleasure in cooking and eating a whole fish and may not have a “catch” to cook, I shop around for whatever is fresh. Whole fish are not an easy market form to find, but I will buy what is available and local seafood retailers are always willing to help with special orders directly to their commercial fishermen. My favorite fish to cook whole are red snapper and sea bass when I can get it. My first choice would be to grill the red snapper over mesquite wood chips and oven-bake the sea bass stuffed with fresh herbs (recipes, this page). I prefer to use simple and fresh ingredients, especially the Mediterranean flavors that complement fish so well – olive oil, garlic, lemon, fresh oregano, rosemary and parsley. Team these up with your favorite whole fish and you can create your own seafood feast. Mesquite-Grilled Whole Red Snapper Makes 2 servings. From Jewel Cammarano. 1 cup mesquite wood chips Soak wood chips in water for 1 hour. Meanwhile, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts into flesh on each side of fish (cleaned and scaled – about 2 pounds). Season fish inside and out with salt and freshly ground pepper. Rub olive oil over entire fish, including cavity and slits. In mixing bowl, combine sliced red bell pepper, sliced onion, chopped parsley, minced garlic and juice of 1 lemon. Toss to blend and stuff into cavity of fish. Set up grill for indirect cooking by pushing burning coals to sides of grill. (Fish will cook over center of grill.) Place moistened mesquite chips over top of ashy coals. Place snapper in oiled fish basket to allow for easy turning; put basket on grill. Cover grill; let fish cook (turning occasionally) 35-45 minutes, or until flesh flakes with fork. Remove fish from its basket and proceed to plate fish as follows: separate head and fins, place wide spatula underneath top filet where it meets backbone. Gently remove it to serving plate. Remove backbone gently in 1 piece; place bottom filet on second plate. Garnish with slices of remaining lemon; serve immediately.
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