Roast Whole Fish With Salsa Romesco Recipes

ROASTED FISH WITH ROMESCO SALSA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the tomato, peppers, garlic, paprika, vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil; set aside.
• In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the torn bread and cook, tossing often, for 3 to 5 minutes, until toasted and golden brown. Transfer to a cutting board to cool, then coarsely chop the bread into pieces.
• Carefully wipe out any crumbs from the pan with a paper towel, then add a splash of olive oil. Add the almonds and toast over medium heat, tossing occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to the board with the bread and set aside to cool.
• Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and place on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Brush all over with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the bread, almonds and parsley to the tomato salsa and toss well. Spoon over the fish fillets, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve immediately.

WHOLE ROASTED FISH

Steps:

• The fish should be cleaned and gutted but left whole. For flavor and dramatic presentation, the head should be left on the fish but you may have to remove it if the fish will not fit in your oven with the head. You will need an oven at least 20 inches wide to accommodate a whole fish larger than 6 pounds. You will also need a very large pan to hold the fish. You can improvise one using a standard 17-inch baking sheet, wrapping it in several thicknesses of heavy-duty foil and extending the foil beyond the ends of the baking sheet to create a surface that will fit the fish. Turn up the edges of the foil to catch pan juices.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Rub the fish inside and out with the olive oil. Season the cavity of the fish with salt and pepper and stuff it with the rosemary.
• Place the fish on the prepared pan, place it in the oven and roast it 5 minutes per pound. Remove the fish from the oven and turn off the oven. Cover the fish loosely with a tent of foil and allow it to rest at least 15 minutes. It can rest for up to one hour and then be served at room temperature. Alternatively, after the resting period, the fish can be returned to the oven set at the lowest possible temperature (140 to 150 degrees) and kept warm without overcooking for up to 1 hour.
• At serving time, transfer the fish to a platter and garnish with the fresh coriander.
• To serve, peel off the top layer of the skin of the fish, then, using a large fork and a spatula, carefully lift sections of the fish off the bone. When all the exposed flesh has been removed from the bone, lift off the skeleton in one piece to expose the flesh underneath. Serve portions of it, lifting it off the skin, with sauce on the side.

FISH BAKED IN SALT WITH ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Rinse the whole fish and pat it dry. In a heavy casserole large enough to hold the fish and all the salt, make a 2 inch layer of salt. Make a shallow, fish shaped impression in the salt and lay the fish on top. Distribute the remaining salt around and over the fish so that it is completely covered. Pat the salt down gently, cover the casserole and bake for about 1 hour. Remove the cover and tap the salt to break it (it will have formed an armorlike crust). Break the crust and pull off most of the salt. Then peel away and discard the skin. Serve the flesh immediately, accompanied by the Romesco sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, soak the bread cubes in the vinegar for 20 minutes. Toast the almonds for 10 to 15 minutes, watching closely. Cool the almonds completely, then grind them in a mortar and pestle or food processor until they are finely ground but not oily. Add the vinegar soaked bread, tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper to the processor and grind together briefly until evenly pureed. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream.