Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Hi,

We like to roast whole fish at low temp, en papillot sans parchment. With a whole fish, we like to stuff the cavity with aromatics or herbs; use whatever is available. The papillot style comes from a bed of shaved aromatics (fennel, leek, brussels sprouts, cipplinis) and then top the fish with more aromatics or lemon slices. Roasting at 225 provides a silken texture that is wonderful. Higher temps change the texture.

The same recipe can also be used for high temp roasting. In this case, we sometimes add a cup of heavy cream to the pan. (This requires a small pan to obtain some depth of cream.) The cream coagulates into a flavorful sauce. The cream should be manufacture's cream.

Tim

Sounds wonderful Tim! What types of fish do you favor to do en papillot, sans the papillot?

Amy

That does sound good... and your side dish is built in!

--Lisa

You could also do Thai whole fried fish. As a warning, it's somewhat messy:

1. take a whole fish. Slice 3-4 diagonal cuts in each side of the fish.
2. make a paste of garlic, ginger, peppers and tumeric. Smear this onto the outside of the fish and into the cuts.
3. dust both sides of the fish liberally with tapioca starch, and the belly cavity.
4. Heat 2 cups of oil to 350F in a large wok
5. Slide the fish into the wok, head-end first, until the main body of the fish is submerged in oil.
6. Fry the fish for 10-12 minutes (yes, really), basting any parts that stick out (like the head and tail) with ladles-full of hot oil.
7. Flip the fish and repeat the process with the other side.
8. Drain on a wire rack, then serve on a platter for everyone to pick apart with their chopsticks.

If anyone is interested in actually making the above, I can add more detail to the recipe.

If all of that is too complicated/messy, there are a number of European and Middle Eastern whole-fish dishes that go like this:

1. Stuff fish belly cavity with herbs/onions and salt, pepper and oil it.
2. Oil a casserole dish and fill it with a bed of sliced onions, leeks, and/or fennel, lightly seasoned.
3. Roast in the oven until the fish is done (varies by size of fish), covered for half the cooking.
4. Squeeze lemon over the fish and serve.

For a more elegant presentation and a complete meal, the Turkish make bulgur wheat with onions, and then roast the fish on a bed of that.

Come spring, you'll have many more options involving a grill ...

Amy,

When you live in Springfield, Il, there is not too much to choose from.

The preparation does dictate a fish that won't be falling apart after 5 minutes of cooking. That means no Petral Sole (now "faux Dover" sole) turbot or other flatfish. I have used grouper, trout, steelhead, snapper, coho, char. Anything fresh.

The recipe concept actually came from Germaine LeClerc of Besancon, France in 1954. Her son was an exchange student who spent a summer in Burlington, Wisconsin. He told my mom he loved carp and she was skeptical. He sent for the recipe from home. He then translated the recipe which began, "Since carp is not a good tasting fish the sauce is very important." Those ingredients included butter, shallots, garlic, wine, cream and roasting. All those ingredients that Julia taught us about in the 1960's.

Tim