Dentice al forno (Roast snapper with herbs)

Variations of this simple way of cooking whole fresh fish within hours of being caught are found  in restaurants all along Italy’s myriad coastlines.  

It is one of the simplest and most tasty  dishes to cook, requiring very little preparation.  The freshness of the fish is the star of the show, showcased by the use of garlic, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, all of which have a natural affinity with fish. The best fish to use is firm fleshed white fish, such as snapper, sea bream or sea bass, and cooking it on the bone ensures maximum flavour. 

It looks spectacular with whole fish, but if – as happened to me recently – a whole fish turns out to be a little too large for your oven tray, remove the head and the tail.  Covering the roasting tray tightly with aluminium foil ensures that the fish simultaneously steams and roasts, retaining all of its natural juices during the cooking process. 

I normally serve this dish as a main course with a simple green salad after a starter such as risotto al limone or spaghetti alla puttanesca.  

Preparation time:  10 minutes    
Cooking time:  25 minutes 
Serves 4  

Ingredients
1.5 kg sea bass, sea bream or whole snapper (with head and tail removed if too big for your roasting pan)
2 cloves of garlic
5 grams of flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
10 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Method
Peel and finely mince the garlic
Finely chop the parsley
Zest the lemon using a fine grater
Cut the zested lemon in half
Juice half the zested lemon and cut the other half into slices
Add the garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and mix well, adding salt to taste
Wash and pat dry the fish then using a sharp knife score 3-4 diagonal slits down to the bone on each side of the fish
Rub the sauce into the slits of the fish
Place the fish on top of the lemon slices in a deep sided baking tray
Seal the tray tightly with aluminium foil and roast in a pre-heated 200 degrees Celsius oven for 25 minutes
Serve 4 equally sized fillets from the fish (taking care to remove bones) with a green salad and an aromatic white wine such as Pouilly-Fumé or Pinot Grigio