Citrus Fennel Whole Roasted Fish Food

CITRUS FENNEL WHOLE ROASTED FISH

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Start by cleaning your Whole Branzino Fish (4).
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add Olive Oil (3 tablespoon) to the pan along with the sliced Fennel Bulb (3) and cook the fennel for about 5 minutes before stirring and cooking for another five minutes.
• Once fennel has softened and slightly caramelized, add in the Canned White Beans (3 cup), Dry White Wine (1/4 cup), and Lemon (1) and cook for about 5 minutes more.
• Pour the fennel and beans onto a large baking sheet. Rub the skin of each fish with Olive Oil and then season each fish inside and out with Sea Salt Flakes (to taste) and Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste).
• Lay each prepared fish atop the fennel and bean mixture on the baking sheet. Stuff each fish with Blood Orange (to taste) and lay additional slices of citrus atop the fennel and bean mixture.
• Roast in the oven on the center rack for 20 minutes remove from the oven and add chopped fresh fennel leaves.

ROASTED WHOLE FISH AND FENNEL WITH CRUSHED POTATOES, PERSERVED LEMON, AND CHARMOULA

Steps:

• Mix yogurt, chopped cilantro, and lime juice in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.
• Cut 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slits into outside of both sides of fish, spacing 2 inches apart. Sprinkle fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Place parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, fennel fronds, and lemon slices in fish cavity. Sprinkle top side of fish with chopped parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Do ahead Lime yogurt and fish can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir fennel seeds in small dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Mix fennel wedges, 2 tablespoons olive oil, toasted fennel seeds, and 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme on rimmed baking sheet; toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until fennel is tender and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 400°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.
• Place potatoes in large saucepan; fill with enough cold salted water to cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer just until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet and cool slightly. Using heel of hand, smash potatoes coarsely. Return potatoes to same saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and preserved lemon. Do ahead Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over fish. Roast fish just until opaque in center, about 30 minutes. Let fish rest 5 minutes.
• Add 1/4 cup reserved potato cooking liquid to potato mixture; stir gently over medium heat until heated through, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Using 2 large metal spatulas, transfer fish to platter. Arrange fennel and potato mixture around. Spoon some Charmoula , then some lime yogurt atop fish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve with remaining Charmoula and lime yogurt.

WHOLE STUFFED ROAST FISH WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the fennel and onion in a large roasting tin and toss with 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and plenty of seasoning. Roast for 20 mins until almost tender and starting to caramelise. Meanwhile, put the couscous in a medium bowl. Mix the saffron and hot stock, pour over the couscous and cover with cling film.
• Rinse the fish with cold water inside and out, then pat dry. Slash deeply on both sides and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of the lemon zest. After 10 mins soaking, fluff up the couscous with a fork and add 2 tbsp lemon juice, the remaining zest, the dill, 1 tbsp pine nuts and seasoning to taste. Stuff the couscous into the cavity of each fish, reserving any leftover couscous for later.
• Stir the tomatoes and currants into the tin. Sit the fish on top and roast for about 30 mins, depending on its size. Look for juices running from the slashes in the flesh. Tug gently on the back fin - if it comes away easily, the fish is cooked.
• 4 Scatter with the rest of the pine nuts, then serve from the tin, with lemon wedges for squeezing over. Serve one stuffed fish per person, or if you have cooked large fish, gently lift the fillets from the top of the fish first, then turn over and repeat. Share out the couscous stuffing and leftover couscous.