Whole Thai Snapper with Lime, Garlic & Tarragon

Happy Friday!  Here's a great recipe for the weekend.  I know we're all trying to cram more fish into our diets - they're protein packed and rich in omega-3's - oh yeah, and they're also delicious, but sometimes cooking the can old boring fillet can get old pretty fast.  A great way to spice up your cooking is to prepare a whole fish!  Purchasing a whole fish is actually cheaper than only buying the fillets and has superior flavor, if you ask me.  Favorite small fish to prepare include brazino, rainbow trout and snapper!

For this recipe, I used Thai Snapper, but any Red Snapper or Trout would work, too.  When the fish is purchased, make sure to request that it's cleaned and scaled (unless you prefer to do this yourself at home).  The fish should be fresh and its eyes should look clear (not cloudy).  In my recipe, I cooked my fish with a combination of lime, garlic and tarragon (I love tarragon with seafood), but feel free to substitute any aromatics you can dream up!

Note: I roasted my fish in the oven, but it would also be great thrown onto the grill for a fun summer recipe!

Domestic Diva's Roasted Whole Thai Snapper with Lime, Garlic & Tarragon
Serves 2-3 people

1 whole Thai snapper (may substitute red snapper or rainbow trout)
1 lime, cut into slices
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3-4 sprigs tarragon
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the fish, rinse with cool water and pat dry.  Set the fish on a piece of aluminum foil.  Gently score the outside by cutting slits across the width, one inch apart.  Then, sprinkle the cavity of the fish with salt & pepper and stuff it with the garlic and tarragon.  Rub the outside of the fish with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and layer the lime slices on top.

Wrap the fish up in the aluminum, place on a cookie sheet or in a roasting pan, and bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until cooked through (cooking time will vary based on the size of the fish).

Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a minute and then unwrap from the foil.  Gently lift of the skin and then the top fillet, placing on a plate.  Then, pull off the skeleton and plate the bottom fillet.  Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

whole Thai snapper, organic lime, organic tarragon & organic garlic from Whole Foods


Music on Tap:

The Sea and Cake - Oui

One of my all time favorite bands, The Sea and Cake might have made one of the happiest albums of all time with Oui.  Like a light, airy summer day, this album captures a perfect upbeat yet mellow vibe.  These guys never quite reached super stardom, but they're incredible musicians based out of Chicago (side projects include Tortoise).  I always catch their shows when they come to town.  So check out this album!  I guarantee you'll love it!