Roasted Whole Black Bass With Herb Stuffing Recipes

WHOLE STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Trim the fins from the fish, rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
• Rub the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place 1/2 of the parsley, dill, lemon and onion in the center of the roasting pan. Make sure that this mound of aromatics is high enough to prevent the fish from touching the bottom of the pan. Rub the fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the fish inside and out with the salt and pepper and lay on the bed of aromatics. Place the second half of the aromatics on top of the fish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before transferring whole to a platter lined with the additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

ROASTED WHOLE BLACK BASS WITH HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush parchment with oil. Dissolve saffron in orange-flower water and 3 Tbsp. hot water in a small bowl.
• Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook shallot and green garlic, stirring often, until shallot is soft, about 3 minutes. Add parsley, tarragon, cilantro, mint, and turmeric and cook, stirring often, until herbs darken slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chiles and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper.
• Divide fish between prepared baking sheets. Open up and brush half of saffron mixture over flesh; season with salt. Stuff with shallot mixture; tie closed with kitchen twine, spacing 2" apart. Brush outsides of fish with remaining saffron mixture; season with salt. Roast until flesh is flaky and opaque, 16-20 minutes. Carefully move a rack to upper third of oven; turn on broiler. Working in 2 batches, broil fish until skin begins to crisp, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly; squeeze limes over.
• Fish can be seasoned and stuffed 2 hours ahead.

BAKED WHOLE FISH WITH LEMON, HERBS AND GARLIC BUTTER

Steps:

• If the fish hasn't been gutted and scaled, do so.
• Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a roasting tin.
• Mix the butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, chopped rosemary and chopped thyme very well. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the compound butter into the fish cavities. Stuff the inside of the fish with lemon triangles (you will probably not be able to fit all of them into your fishes) and rosemary sprigs. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. You can slash the fish two to three times if you like.
• Place the fish in the prepared tin, along with the extra thyme, garlic and remaining lemon slices. Bake for 20-25 minutes (a large sea bream takes about 25 minutes, branzino is probably ready after 20).
• In the meantime, mix the chopped tomatoes, capers, olives and parsley. Add enough olive oil to create a nicely dispersed condiment. Serve with the hot fish.

WHOLE SMOKE-ROASTED STRIPED BASS AND ROCKET PESTO

Steps:

• Make sure the fish has had all its scales removed, and that the inside cavity is clean. If there are any scales left, remove them using the back of a knife to scrape the skin from tail to head. Pat the skin dry with a towel.
• Prepare smoker and bring heat to 400degreesF (200 degrees C). We recommend oak or hickory as the smoke wood.
• In a blender, puree the olive oil, garlic, 5 cups (300 g) parsley leaves, rosemary, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth. Coat the fish with the herb mixture inside and out. Stuff the cavity with the basil, tarragon, thyme, and remaining 1 bunch parsley.
• Transfer fish to a large foil-lined baking sheet, and smoke for 5 minutes for every inch (2.5 cm) the fish measures at its largest circumference, or until the fish's internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).
• To serve, gently transfer roasted fish to a large platter or cutting board and drizzle with Rocket Pesto. Serve with Cheesy Grilled Corn.
• Pesto is traditionally made with basil, garlic, parmesan or pecorino cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil, but we thought we'd shake things up a bit by replacing the basil with arugula and substituting pistachios for pine nuts.
• In a food processor, puree the pistachios, garlic, and cheese. Add arugula and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Grilled corn with cotija cheese (a hard, dry cheese named for the town in Mexico from whence it originates), mayonnaise, and a dusting of chili powder is popular street food in Mexico. One bite and it's easy to see why. Here's our version.
• In the bowl of a food processor, puree the egg yolks, garlic, and lemon juice. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
• Prepare grill. When fire is medium-hot (you should not be able to hold your hand over the coals for more than 10 seconds), grill corn for about 5 minutes, rolling it to toast all sides and keep it from burning (C). Remove from grill and slather with aioli, then sprinkle with queso fresco and chili powder. Serve with lime wedges.