Whole stuffed roast fish with fennel
This is inspired by the cooking of Sicily, where the
aromatic spices and dried fruit of Arabian cuisine meet with the fresh fish and
vegetables of the Med.
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Serves 4
·
Prep 15 mins
·
Cook 50 mins
Ingredient
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2 fennel bulbs, halved and finely sliced
·
1 large onion, halved and finely sliced 3 tbsp extra virgin olive
oil, plus extra for drizzling
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2 lemons, 1 zested then juiced, 1 cut into wedges
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200g/7oz couscous
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Pinch of saffron threads 250ml/9fl oz chicken or vegetable
·
Stock 2 larger or 4 smaller whole fish, cleaned and scaled (I used
Anglesey sea bass)
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Small pack dill, finely chopped 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
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250g/9oz baby plum or small tomatoes, halved
·
1 tbsp currants
Anglesey sea bass
Recipe
1.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the fennel and onion in a large
roasting tin and toss with 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and plenty of
seasoning. Roast for 20 mins until almost tender and starting to caramelise.
Meanwhile, put the couscous in a medium bowl. Mix the saffron and hot stock,
pour over the couscous and cover with cling film.
2.
Rinse the fish with cold water inside and out, then pat dry. Slash deeply
on both sides and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of the lemon zest. After
10 mins soaking, fluff up the couscous with a fork and add 2 tbsp lemon juice,
the remaining zest, the dill, 1 tbsp pine nuts and seasoning to taste. Stuff
the couscous into the cavity of each fish, reserving any leftover couscous for
later.
3.
Stir the tomatoes and currants into the tin. Sit the fish on top and
roast for about 30 mins, depending on its size. Look for juices running from
the slashes in the flesh. Tug gently on the back fin – if it comes away easily,
the fish is cooked.
4.
Scatter with the rest of the pine nuts, then serve from the tin, with
lemon wedges for squeezing over. Serve one stuffed fish per person, or if you
have cooked large fish, gently lift the fillets from the top of the fish first,
then turn over and repeat. Share out the couscous stuffing and leftover
couscous.
Per serving 489 Kcals, Protein 36g, Carbs 45g, Fat
18g, Sat Fat 2g, Fiber 9g, Sugar 11g, Salt 0.5g
Whole stuffed
roast fish with fennel
Preparing a whole round fish
This is a messy job – however, it’s easier than you think.
Cut along the belly, from the small vent near the tail, up to under the head.
Scrape out all the guts using a spoon, then scrape along the ‘blood line,’
which lies at the top of the cavity.
Open the gills and snip them out with scissors from each end
(if you have ever applied false eyelashes, this will be horribly familiar).
Rinse the fish to remove all traces of blood. Put the fish in
a plastic carrier bag, then scrape the scales away using the back of a large
knife, going from tail to head. The scales will ping from the body and go into
the bag, rather than all over the kitchen. Rinse the fish again, snip off all
the fins except for the dorsal (back), then you’re ready to go.
This is a messy
job – however, it’s easier than you think
