My brother in law friend gave a huge snapper. He caught it by boat somewhere in the sea by the Peninsula. Last night, I roasted it with vegetables as we are celebrating one of my nephew birthday.
Although snapper looks a slight dark charred; its tender juicy from Marsala wine and lemon juice. I am relieved and happy that my first time cooking a huge whole snapper and vegetables are delicious.
The aroma Mediterranean spices gives it a satisfying palate and stomach to each of us at dinner. We finished the huge snapper.
Followed by serving up birthday cake, blowing cake and eating another spice dessert -apple cinnamon cake. Recipe coming soon.
Enjoy!!!!!
Ingredients
1 huge whole red snapper, cleaned and gutted
4 Tbs garlic, minced with a bit oil
4 Tsp cumin powder
4 Tsp coriander powder
4 Tsp ginger powder
4 Tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
4 Tsp chilli powder
3 Tsp dried oregano
3 Tsp Moroccan powder
3 Tsp Baharat powder
3 Tsp salt
3 Tsp black peppercorns, pound finely
3 stalks fresh dill
3 colours and types of cherries tomatoes
3 colours capsicum, sliced into bite sizes
1 medium fennel, sliced thinly
1 medium Spanish onion, sliced thinly
2 lemons, 1 sliced to stuff in snapper and the other for sides
some fronds to stuff in snapper, perhaps 3
a few splashes of Marsala wine (Opt)
olive oil
Method
Preheat oven 220 degrees C. Pat snapper dry. With a sharp knife, trim off tail a bit to fit into double lined and lightly oil foil baking tray. Then cut off fins and make 5 slits on each side of snapper. Next stuff gut cavity, and push into slits minced garlic with oil. Leave snapper on clean sink board while prepare spices.
To make the spice: combine all the spices powder, salt, and pepper in a deep plate. Use about 3/4 spice rub inside on both sides; pat the spices into the fish pushing into the slits. Set aside remainder 1/4 spice for vegetables.
Place stuffed and rub spices snapper in the prepared baking tray. Next stuff gut cavity with dill, fronds and a some lemon slices.
Sprinkle vegetables with remaining spices and drizzle with oil. Spoon vegetables around snapper with remaining lemon slices. Splash a few splash of Marsala wine and generously drizzle oil over everything in tray.
Place baking tray on the lowest oven rack. Roast for 28-30 minutes until snapper and vegetables are cooked through; charred slightly snapper. Serve it straight from oven in baking tray and I squeeze juice from lemon I stuff in the snapper using tong all over it before spooning to individual plate. Serve it with rice, Chinese broccoli, and shredded chicken my mom made and my dad bought sweet and sour spare ribs.
Note: oven temperature may vary depending on size of snapper and how many. You might need less time if you don’t want a charred snapper.
You may use fresh lemon juice to squeeze the juice all over the snapper. You can serve portion snapper using the slits. Serve it with wedges of the remaining lemon and salad.