This baked snapper is an Italian Passover tradition. It's also an interesting variation on the standard roasted fish one generally encounters in Italy, which simply has rosemary and lemon in the cavity, and a little more rosemary and lemon outside. Here there are anchovy fillets instead; the dish will work with any kind of fish, and is perfect for a special occasion. To serve 6 you will need:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 four-pound (1.8 k) red snapper, or 2 fish totaling five pounds (2 k)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 anchovy filets
- Olive oil
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- The leaves of a short sprig of rosemary (1 teaspoon freshly chopped leaves, or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 lemon cut into 6 wedges
Preparation:
Clean the fish, wash the cavity, and pat it dry inside and out. Lightly season it inside and out with salt and pepper, set it in an oiled baking dish, and slip the rosemary leaves into the cavity, distributing them evenly. Measure the thickness of the fish at its thickest point.
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Heat the anchovies in a quarter cup (65 ml) of olive oil, stirring them around until they dissolve into a paste. Remove the pot from the fire and stir in the bread crumbs and the parsley. Spread the mixture over the top of the fish, bake the fish until done, figuring ten minutes per inch (or 2.5 cm) of thickness. This will be between 20 and 30 minutes for smaller fish, and up to about 45 for a large one.
Serve with the lemon wedges as garnish.
The wine? I'd go with a flavorful white, for example a Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli's Collio.
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Heat the anchovies in a quarter cup (65 ml) of olive oil, stirring them around until they dissolve into a paste. Remove the pot from the fire and stir in the bread crumbs and the parsley. Spread the mixture over the top of the fish, bake the fish until done, figuring ten minutes per inch (or 2.5 cm) of thickness. This will be between 20 and 30 minutes for smaller fish, and up to about 45 for a large one.
Serve with the lemon wedges as garnish.
The wine? I'd go with a flavorful white, for example a Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli's Collio.
