Fish Family friendly Main French

Whole baked snapper with fennel and thyme

Name: Whole baked snapper with fennel and thyme
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: /french
Ingredients: 1 bunch thyme; 1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley; 1 bay leaf; 10 fennel fronds; 2kg whole snapper, cleaned (ask your fishmonger to do this); 1 lemon, halved; 300.00ml extra virgin olive oil; Salsa verde, to serve; 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped; 1 bunch basil, leaves finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 1 anchovy fillet in oil, drained, finely chopped; 100g pitted Gordal olives or other large green olives, roughly chopped; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, flesh segmented, chopped, juice reserved

1 rating

15m

30m

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by Guillaume Brahimi

Oct 03, 2015

This dish exemplifies French simplicity at its best - whole baked fish, lemon, herbs and olive oil.

1 bunch thyme
1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
10 fennel fronds
2kg whole snapper, cleaned (ask your fishmonger to do this)
1 lemon, halved
150ml extra virgin olive oil
Salsa verde, to serve

Salsa verde

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
1 bunch basil, leaves finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 anchovy fillet in oil, drained, finely chopped
100g pitted Gordal olives or other large green olives, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, flesh segmented, chopped, juice reserved
150ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place thyme, parsley, bay leaf and 7 fennel fronds inside fish cavity. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon over fish, then place the lemon half inside cavity. Place fish on baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until just cooked through. Heat grill to high heat and cook fish under grill for a further 8 minutes or until skin is lightly charred.
2.

Squeeze over juice from remaining 1/2 lemon and drizzle with oil. Scatter with remaining torn fennel sprigs.
3.

For salsa verde, place herbs, garlic and anchovy in a bowl and stir to combine. Stir in olives. Add lemon zest, flesh and reserved juice to mixture. Stir in oil and season to taste. Dollop onto fish.