ROASTED RED SNAPPER WITH ROSEMARY

ROASTED RED SNAPPER WITH ROSEMARY image

Yield 4 main course servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole red snapper (about 3 pounds), cleaned and scaled
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with foil. Coat the foil with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place the fish atop the foil, and sprinkle the fish cavity with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from 4 lemon wedges inside the fish cavity and then place those wedges in the cavity. Fill the cavity with the onion, fennel, rosemary, and garlic. Rub the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over the fish and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. (The fish can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Uncover before baking.) Roast in the oven until the fish is just cooked through at the bone, about 40 minutes. Pull back the skin from atop the fish. Using a sharp knife, separate the two fillets from the backbone. Using a metal spatula, transfer the fillets to plates. Lift the fish backbone from the bottom fillets (the backbone and head should come off together easily), and discard. Using the spatula, transfer the remaining two fillets to plates. Sprinkle the fish with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve with the remaining lemon wedges.