Baked Whole Snapper Basque Style Food

BASQUE CAKE WITH CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch cake pan or spring-form pan. In a mixer with a whip attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into this butter mixture until a soft dough forms and no white streaks of flour remain. Spread half the batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Stir the almond extract into the cherry preserves. Spoon the cherry preserves over the batter, spreading it within 2 inches of the border.
• Drop the remaining batter by large spoonfuls or pipe it with a plain tip over the preserves. Spread the batter carefully over the jam to the edge of the pan. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if using.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Unmold the cake and dust with confectioners' sugar.

WHOLE BAKED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the fish with olive oil and place it in an oiled oval pan, gratin dish, or sheet pan. Bake for about 15 minutes per inch of thickness at the thickest part of the fish. Check for doneness by carefully sliding a paring knife into the back at the thickest part, gently lifting the top fillet, and peeking inside to make sure the fish pulls away from the bone and the flesh is opaque (but still moist) rather than translucent and raw. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon.;

ROASTED SARANDEADO-STYLE WHOLE SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
• Butterfly the fish by cutting almost in half horizontally and opening like a book. Carefully cut and remove the spine. Place the fish, skin-side down, on the foil. Roll up the edges of the foil to come close to the edge of the fish to prevent the juices from spilling onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the fish with the garlic powder and then with the tomato bouillon. Drizzle the fish with the hot sauce and then squeeze the limes over. Cut and squeeze the orange juice all over the fish. Then, using the flesh side of the orange, brush the fish all over to form a wet paste on top of the fish. Dot the fish with the remaining butter.
• Bake the fish until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with warm tortillas to make tacos and lime wedges for squeezing over the fish.