How to Roast a Whole Fish

9.8.15 | Recipe by Renz
I don't remember us roasting fish too much while I was growing up. My mom usually curried king fish steaks or fried fish for us. It wasn't until I got to Florida that I became attached to eating roast fish from my Jamaican friends. And I became addicted. I don't really like to eat fish any other way now and when I do there is no sharing with anyone. It's unfair to share.

How to roast a whole fish

Roast fish is usually done on the grill but can easily be done in the oven (as I did)

This dish is a Jamaican street food. You get a fish wrapped in foil and dive in. No sides are needed. Just you and yuh fish and a little seat somewhere.

It amazes me how huge the flavors are in the fish with just a little preparation and a few ingredients

How to roast a whole fish

There is no set script to getting this done. Though there are some basic requirements (onion, thyme, salt and pepper) you can throw anything that is available into this dish and go. You are free to experiment and get a combination of herbs that suits your tastes.

Ensure when you are getting your whole fish (I always use snapper) that it's a decent enough size and see if you can get your butcher (or fisherman depending on where you are) to clean the scales up for you. I detest scaling fish and always let them do it.

Try to get a fish that has a decent enough cavity so that it can be stuffed. For the filling, I used onions, scallions, thyme, corn, ochro and fish flavoured soup mix.

I used salt and papper to season the fish after I washed with lime and patted dry. You would see that there are two slits (on each side). I put them there so that the salt and pepper could get under the skin a bit while it is baking.

How to roast a whole fish


We then add our chopped up and mixed ingredients for the filling and stuff the fish already placed on foil that it's going to be wrapped in.

How to roast a whole fish

I also add any leftover filling on the top of the fish

Then I wrap it into its own little pocket so that it can steam in the flavors

How to roast a whole fish

This can also be done on a grill which gives you that nice charred outer versus the baked version.

After an hour of baking

How to roast a whole fish

Fish is roasted and is smelling amazing.

I normally don't eat this fish with anything else. I would probably eat half in one sitting *shame face*.

And normally I don't even take it out the foil. This dish is predominantly a street dish of Jamaica and is served in the foil it is roasted in.

How to roast a whole fish

Fish and vegetables. What more do you need?



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Whole Roasted Fish
How to roast a whole fish
by HomeMadeZagat
Prep Time: 00:15
Cook Time: 00:60
Keywords: bake roast entree Fish
Ingredients (Serves 2)
  • 1 whole fish (snapper) cleaned and scaled
  • 1 lime
  • 4 okras, cut up
  • 1/3 cup sweet corn
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 carrot, cubed
  • Butter
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 1/2 pack fish soup mix
Instructions
Soak fish in juice from lime for 30 minutes
Wash fish off and pat dry with paper towels
Put three slits on the each side of the fish
Season fish with a mix of salt and black pepper (more black pepper than salt) Season both sides of the fish and inside the cavity
Heat oven to 375 degrees
Take a touch of butter (not too much) and spread over fish to help keep seasoning on
Mix together corn, thyme, okra, fish soup mix and onion
Place seasoned fish on a flat tray lined with enough foil to wrap the fish
Stuff fish cavity with filling.
Place any leftover filling on top of the fish and wrap closed.
Bake for 45 mins to an hour or until fish flakes
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