Whole Fish Recipes

Moroccan Whiting

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds whole whiting, gutted
  • 2 teaspoons Moroccan spice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • Lemon wedges

Directions:

  1. Wash each fish, checking to be sure the stomach cavities are clean; drain thoroughly.
  2. Sprinkle the fish with about 2 teaspoons of the Moroccan Spice, and a little bit of salt if desired. 
  3. Place the seasoned whiting in a colander set in a deep bowl and cover tightly; leave in the fridge until ready to cook. (The fish can be prepped up to this point and then refrigerated for up to a day.)
  4. When ready to fry, place the flour on a plate or shallow dish. Lightly coat the fish with the flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside in a single layer on a tray.
  5. Pour enough vegetable oil into a frying pan to fully coat the bottom, and heat for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
  6. Cook the fish in batches, turning only once, until light to medium golden on both sides. Do not crowd the pan. Add a little more oil if needed. For very small whiting, the frying will only be several minutes on each side. For larger whiting, you might find it takes up to 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
  7. Transfer the fish to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
  8. Then transfer the fish to a serving platter. Serve room temperature or warm, with lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

 

Baked Stuffed Haddock with Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
  • Whole haddock
  • 1 batch of stuffing
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 8 - 10 strips of bacon
  • Lemons for garnish
  • Small white potatoes
Directions:
  1. Wash and rinse haddock to to remove excess scale. 
  2. Pat the interior and exterior with paper towels, lightly salt fish and place on greased baking sheet.
  3. Preheat oven to 400F
  4. Stuff cavity with your batch of stuffing and put excess stuffing in a casserole dish to accompany.
  5. Close the cavity with skewers
  6. Lay strips of bacon over the fish on the diagonal.
  7. Bake in oven 10 minutes per inch of fish thickness (generally about 40-50 minutes)
  8. Remove bacon and serve with side of roasted potatoes and garnish with lemons.

Broiled Flounder

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole flounder
  • 1⁄4 cup butter
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Heat broiler on high.
  2. Score the fish in two or three spots on the dark side (back).
  3. Melt butter and Worcestershire sauce with juice from half a lemon and garlic.
  4. Rub fish down with salt and pepper on both sides, depending on the size of your fish you might need more or less salt and pepper.
  5. Put fish under the broiler for 3 minuets.
  6. Slide the fish out of the broiler and paint it with butter and garlic sauce every minute or so until the fish is done. I follow this rule: if you can stick a toothpick into the widest part of the fish, then place the toothpick to your lips and the toothpick is warm, your fish is done.
  7. When fish is done drizzle with the juice from the other half of your lemon. 

Whole Whiting Roasted with Tomato, Lemon and Garlic

Ingredients:

  • 6 whole whiting, backbone removed, heads and tails intact
  • 4 small lemons, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • 6 stalks young garlic, roots trimmed
  • 1 Cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 lemon (juice only)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Season fish cavities with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, insert lemon slices and a few sprigs of thyme into each and tie fish into intervals with cooking twine.
  3. Cut green tops off garlic and halve bulbs lengthways. Scatter tops over base of a roasting pan large enough to fit whiting snugly, layer over remaining lemon slices, scatter with remaining thyme, then place fish on top.
  4. Scatter garlic bulbs, then tomato over fish. Drizzle with olive oil, verjuice and lemon juice. Cover with foil, roast for 10 minutes, then remove foil and cook for another 10-12 minutes or until fish is just cooked through.
  5. Serve fish with tomato, young garlic and pan juices.