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Baked Or Slow-Roasted Fish

  • 0sPrep Time
  • 30m Cook Time
  • 30m Ready In

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  • Cuisine : World
  • Course : Dinner

4 servings Large whole fish and big fillets may be cooked with this method (figure on 12 ounces per person or 6 ounces per person, respectively). To stuff whole roundfish, butterfly and add about 10 minutes to the roasting time. Some good stuffings include Parsley and Bread Crumb Stuffing, Bacon Stuffing for Fish, and Green Herb Stuffing. Since the skin will never crisp up with this method, we usually do not scale fish (remove the skin before serving or instruct diners to remove it).

Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 3 pounds whole fish or 1½ pounds fish fillets
  • Olive oil, softened butter, or any flavored butter
  • Salt (if the fish has not been brined) and black pepper
  • (Fennel fronds, herb sprigs, or thin slices of lemon)
  • Lemon quarters
  • Sprigs of parsley, basil, or tarragon
  • 1
    • 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, cut into 6 pieces
    • 1 cup dry white wine or Champagne
    • ¼ cup minced shallots
    • 1 ½ teaspoons chopped tarragon
    • Salt and white pepper
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Prepare, but do not season: ½ recipe Sauce Velouté
    2. using Fumet to replace the stock, if desired, if serving with fish. Have ready: 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, cut into 6 pieces
    3. Combine in a medium saucepan and boil until reduced almost to a glaze: 1 cup dry white wine or Champagne; ¼ cup minced shallots
    4. Remove the wine mixture from the heat and, stirring with a wooden spoon, add the butter piece by piece so that it softens but does not liquefy and the sauce retains a creamy texture. Add: 1 ½ teaspoons chopped tarragon
    5. Meanwhile, heat the velouté sauce until hot but not boiling. Whisk in the butter mixture. Season to taste with: Salt and white pepper
    6. Serve at once.

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 3 pounds whole fish or 1½ pounds fish fillets
  • Olive oil, softened butter, or any flavored butter
  • Salt (if the fish has not been brined) and black pepper
  • (Fennel fronds, herb sprigs, or thin slices of lemon)
  • Lemon quarters
  • Sprigs of parsley, basil, or tarragon
  • 1 White Wine Sauce, Beurre Blanc, Salsa Verde, Zhug, Sauce Gribiche, or a salsa

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Prepare for cooking: 3 pounds whole fish or 1½ pounds fish fillets

  2. Step 2.

    For fillets, brine or dry-brine, if desired. If using whole fish, slash the skin a few times on both sides.

  3. Step 3.

    Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pat the fish dry and rub generously (inside and out for whole fish) with: Olive oil, softened butter, or any flavored butter; Salt (if the fish has not been brined) and black pepper

  4. Step 4.

    Place the whole fish on a greased rack in a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. For fillets, grease a baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet and place the fillets directly on the bottom. Or, if desired, you may tuck under the fish: (Fennel fronds, herb sprigs, or thin slices of lemon)

  5. Step 5.

    Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. The flesh should be firm and opaque throughout, or reach an internal temperature of 125° to 130°F, the latter temperature for flakier fish (for more on how to test for doneness, see here). Transfer to a serving dish; for serving whole fish, see here. Garnish with: Lemon quarters; Sprigs of parsley, basil, or tarragon

  6. Step 6.

    Or serve with: White Wine Sauce, Beurre Blanc, Salsa Verde, Zhug, Sauce Gribiche, or a salsa

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