Whole Fish In Fennel Food

WHOLE FISH IN FENNEL

Steps:

• Slice stems and fronds from fennel bulbs and lay on a work surface.
• Rub fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Tuck some fennel stems in fish cavity. Cover fish with remaining fennel stems and fronds. Use butcher's cord to tie fennel to fish, enclosing it. Rub fennel with another tablespoon olive oil. Trim fennel bulbs and slice 1/2-inch thick.
• Heat grill to very hot and oil grates. Place fish in fennel on grill, preferably at least 8 inches from coals or fire. Grill about 15 minutes on one side. Fennel will char.
• While fish grills, place sliced bulbs in a saucepan of boiling, salted water and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain well on paper towel.
• Turn fish and grill about 15 minutes on other side, or until flesh in cavity looks opaque and can easily be separated from the bone when poked with a knife. Remove to a platter and snip off cords.
• Rub fennel slices with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and place on grill. Sear on each side. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Bone fish and serve, with lemon wedges, additional oil for drizzling and seared fennel alongside.

FISH WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Cut lime in half; cut four slices from one half for garnish. Finely grate enough peel from remaining half to measure 3/4 teaspoon; squeeze juice from lime half. Set aside., In a dry small skillet over medium heat, toast fennel seeds until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes. Cool. Crush seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle., In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add sliced fennel and salt; cover and boil for 6-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and pat dry., In a large nonstick skillet, saute fennel in 2 teaspoons oil for 3 minutes or until fennel is lightly browned. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan and set aside. , In the same skillet over medium-high heat, cook fillets in remaining oil for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. , Drizzle with lime juice; sprinkle with lime peel and crushed fennel seeds. Serve with sauteed fennel. Garnish with fennel fronds and lime slices.,

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.

WHOLE ROASTED FISH WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add julienned fennel, shallots, and half the garlic. Cook, covered, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fennel mixture to a bowl, reserving oil in pan; season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley; set aside.
• Place fish in an oiled shallow baking dish large enough to hold fish. Spread fish open, and transfer fennel mixture to center of fish. Sprinkle with lime juice, and close fish. Tie together crosswise in 2 or 3 places using kitchen twine.
• Season fish with salt and pepper; rub with remaining garlic. Pour reserved oil over fish; cover with fennel stalks and fronds. Pour in white wine.
• Bake fish, basting often with juices from pan, until flesh is opaque and flakes slightly, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove strings. Transfer to a large serving platter; garnish with watercress. Serve immediately.

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.

FISH AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, combine 1/3 cup water and oil. Add the fennel, tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to fall apart, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add to skillet with vegetables. Cover, and cook until opaque, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

FISH GRILLED IN FENNEL

Steps:

• Place garlic cloves in small saucepan, cover with water, and simmer 15 minutes, until they are tender. Drain. Mash by hand or purée in small food processor. Mince 1 shallot, mix with the garlic, add half the thyme and, by hand or machine, beat in 3 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon to make a paste.
• Cut 4 deep slashes in both sides of each fish. Rub the fish inside and out with some oil and juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill slashes with garlic paste, and spread any remaining inside fish. Slice remaining shallot, and put slices in cavities. Slice one lemon, and put slices in cavities.
• Cut off fennel bulbs, and remove a few frond sprigs for garnish. For each fish, place about three fennel branches, fronds attached, side by side lengthwise on work surface. Place one fish on bed of fennel, and top with about three more branches with fronds. With butcher's cord, tie fennel around fish in 3 places. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
• Heat grill, preferably charcoal. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a shallow 4-cup baking dish.
• Slice off bottom half inch of fennel bulbs. Slice each bulb vertically, in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, drain and place in bowl of ice water. Drain and pat dry.
• Arrange fennel slices, partly overlapping, in baking dish. Scatter with remaining thyme. Drizzle with cream, and strew with cheese.
• Grill fish 10 to 15 minutes on each side, until tip of knife inserted in thickest part slips out easily and feels very warm when touched to your chin. While fish grills, place dish with fennel in oven, and bake about 15 minutes, until browned on top.
• To serve, snip off the strings around the fish, and remove the fennel. Remove the lemon and shallot slices from inside fish. Fillet fish, and arrange on platter; garnish with remaining lemon, cut in wedges, and reserved fennel sprigs. Serve baked fennel alongside.