Baked Whole Pompano Fish Food

WHOLE BAKED FISH CUBAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Rinse the fish well under cold running water and pat dry on both sides as well as inside the cavity. Make several slits about 1/3-inch deep on both sides of the fish. Place the fish in a non-reactive shallow dish or platter and pour the lime juice over the fish. Set aside while you continue with the preparations.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Rub the bottom of a shallow glass or ceramic dish large enough to hold the fish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Saute 1/2 of the onion slices and 1/2 of the pepper slices in 2 tablespoons olive oil and then place along the bottom of the baking dish. Tear 2 of the bay leaves into small pieces and sprinkle over the vegetables. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons more of the remaining Spanish olive oil and season with salt, black pepper, to taste, and crushed red pepper flakes. Place the fish on top of the sliced vegetables.
• Using a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic, kosher salt and oregano and mash to form a paste. Spread the garlic paste inside the cavity of the fish and into the slits on top. Place the remaining bay leaf inside the cavity of the fish. In the same small bowl that you used to make the garlic paste, combine the tomato puree and vinegar and stir to combine. Pour this tomato mixture all over the fish. Top with the remaining onion and pepper slices and drizzle the remaining olive oil and the wine over the top. Season again with salt and black pepper, cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil, and bake until the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork, 45 to 50 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot or warm, with the pan juices drizzled over all.

BAKED POMPANO

Steps:

• Whisk soy sauce, rice wine, 1 tablespoon olive oil, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and juice of 1/2 the lime together in a bowl.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir shallot and ginger until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in soy sauce mixture; simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Score both sides of the pompano in a crosshatch pattern. Pat dry with a paper towel. Season both sides and inside of the pompano with dill, salt, and pepper. Slice remaining 1/2 of the lime and arrange slices inside. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over pompano; rub over both sides.
• Layer cabbage leaves in the bottom of a large baking dish; place pompano on top. Pour soy sauce mixture over pompano. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Let marinate as oven preheats.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake pompano in the preheated oven until fragrant, about 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil; continue baking until pompano flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes more.
• Peel back skin and lift pompano flesh off the bones using a fork. Transfer to a serving plate.

WHOLE ROASTED FISH WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Make 3 diagonal slices about 1/2-inch deep on each side of the fish. Salt and olive oil the fish generously.
• Season the inside of the fish with salt and olive oil. Place 4 lemon slices, the bay leaves, a bundle of the mixed herbs and 2 of the garlic cloves inside the body cavity.
• Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil and arrange the remaining assorted herbs, lemon slices and garlic in the center of the tray and lay the fish on top.
• Fold the aluminum foil up around the sides of the fish to create a sort of baking dish. Add the white wine and place in the preheated oven and roast until the fish is just cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven, present and collect your kudos then fillet to serve.

SALT-BAKED WHOLE POMPANO WITH PARSLEY OIL

Steps:

• To make the parsley oil, bring a saucepan 1/4 full of water to a boil and add the parsley. Cook just until the leaves turn bright green, about 30 seconds. Immediately drain and plunge the leaves into cold water to stop the cooking.
• Drain the leaves again and wring out as much water as possible. Transfer parsley to a blender and add the olive oil. Blend until pureed. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much oil as possible. Discard solids and refrigerate the oil.
• To make the fish, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and pat the pompano dry and season it inside and out with pepper. Place the rosemary and garlic inside the cavity. Place the salt in a large bowl. Whisk the egg whites together with 1/4cup water and pour it over the salt. Using your hands, distribute the liquid evenly through the salt.
• Choose a baking dish just slightly larger than the fish and pour a half-inch layer of the salt into the bottom. Place the fish over it and pour the remainder of the salt over and around it, making sure that a good layer covers the fish on all sides. Bake the fish for 35 minutes.
• Remove the fish from the oven. Wrap the head of a hammer in cloth and use the flat side to break the salt. Pull the salt away to expose the fish and gently lift it from the salt, brushing away any that adheres to the skin. Place the fish on a platter and peel back and discard the skin. Pour parsley oil over the fish, surround it with lemon slices and serve.

GRILLED LIME POMPANO

Steps:

• Preheat grill to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Place dish in the grill, away from direct heat.
• Drop coconut oil onto the foil and close grill long enough to melt oil. Place fish in the oil and turn until it is coated in oil on both sides; season with salt and pepper. Close grill.
• Cook on the grill until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes. Carefully transfer fish and foil onto a plate and slide fish off the foil. Squeeze lime juice over fish.