One-Pot Wonders

Whole Roasted Fish with Rosemary Potatoes

by:
September 25, 2011
4.8
4 Ratings
Whole Roasted Fish with Rosemary Potatoes
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves as many as you wish
Author Notes

Not everyone is prepared to find a whole fish on their dinner plate. We found our underwater friend's underbite amusing; but teeth and eyeballs cause some squirm. Besides, many of us never learned what to do when presented with a whole fish for dinner. How does one go about removing the head, skin and spine in order to get to the the tender white fillet inside?

In many cultures, though, eating whole fish is commonplace. Whole fish is more economical than fish fillets, and also much better tasting. Meats and fish cooked in their bones and skin are always moister and more savory than slices of meat or fish separated from the carcass.

In Italy, roasted fish with rosemary potatoes are a common Sunday afternoon meal. Stefano's mom, Maria, visits the fish market on Saturday and picks out whichever fish looks the best—sometimes spigola (seabass), other times trota (trout). Freshness is important—signs of a not-so-fresh fish include a fishy smell, cloudy eyes, and a dry tail. In Italy, they will typically gut and scale your fish right there for you. In the States, they will often come scaled and gutted.

On a side note, an Italian fish market is a spectacular sight—be sure to visit one when you are there. —DueSpaghetti

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: DueSpaghetti is Cara and Stefano, two Italian expats living in Minneapolis.
WHAT: Both a technique and a recipe for making a gorgeous roast fish.
HOW: Salt, pepper, and oil your fish and potatoes. Place a sprig of rosemary inside the fish's cavity. Bake. (That's it.)
WHY WE LOVE IT: The simplicity of this recipe is both a joy and a relief -- with just a few ingredients, and in just a half hour, you have a full, flavorful, and healthy meal. We love both the recipe itself and the concept that comes with it: season and oil a fish, bake it, and serve. The rest is up to you. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 whole fish per person (trout and seabass work well)
  • 1 potato per person, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 1 clove of finely diced garlic per fish, plus extra for the potatoes
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus extra for the potatoes
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Olive oil
Directions
  1. Wash the exterior and the cavity of the fish under cold water.
  2. Coat the bottom of a baking pan or roasting pan with olive oil.
  3. Add the diced potatoes. Salt and pepper the potatoes liberally, and add a handful of finely mined garlic and rosemary stems.
  4. Rub olive oil on the skin and in the cavity of each fish, and lay them in the baking pan on top of the potatoes. Salt the cavity of each fish liberally and add the minced garlic. If you wish, you may also add some crushed red pepper. Place a sprig of rosemary inside each fish.
  5. Bake at 375° F for approximately 30 minutes. Once or twice during cooking, use a flat spatula to lift and turn the potatoes, being careful to not prod or poke the fish. Do not turn the fish. Cooking time will vary according to the size of the fish; it is done when the skin loosens and the meat is tender but firm to the touch.
  6. Your potatoes may require additional cooking time. If this is the case, remove the fish and return the baking tray to the oven until the potatoes are golden brown.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Jen Hixon-Ainsworth
    Jen Hixon-Ainsworth
  • DueSpaghetti
    DueSpaghetti
  • TheWimpyVegetarian
    TheWimpyVegetarian
  • darksideofthespoon
    darksideofthespoon

Popular on Food52

9 Reviews

Jeeanthornell1
Jeeanthornell1 November 9, 2022
The freshness of the fish and method of
cooking was WONDERFUL. Thanks y’all.
 
Jen H.
Jen H. December 8, 2016
This was yummy and easy. I had a similar recipe for cod and it had you cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes prior so everything could be done at once. So I did that with this dish. And added a few slices of lemon atop. Great!
 
DueSpaghetti
DueSpaghetti July 25, 2015
I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to, Judith. If you mean prior to cooking the fish, purchase your fish already gutted and cleaned. If you mean what to do with the head, skin, etc. after cooking, the original blog post discusses how to do that. http://duespaghetti.com/2011/09/20/pesce-e-patate-al-forno/ Hope that helps.
 
Judith S.
Judith S. July 23, 2015
Judie2
Did I miss a page? Just how do you remove the parts of the fish that need to be removed? Thank you to any one who can help me.....
 
sbf-ct
sbf-ct September 24, 2013
WE make whole fish regularly (husband is Portuguese, so I have him to thank for teaching me how wonderful it is)... but this recipe was something so delectable...simple (as all fish should be)... clearly let the true fish flavor come through.. positively perfect!! And a one dish meal to boot! Thanks! We need more like this!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian January 2, 2013
This looks wonderful! Congrats on the wildcard win!
 
keihin
keihin January 2, 2013
Porgy would work well for this dish. It's abundant on the Atlantic coast right now. Call it "Carolina Branzino".
 
jenniebgood
jenniebgood January 2, 2013
congratulations DueSpaghetti! This looks like a definite keeper!
 
darksideofthespoon
darksideofthespoon January 2, 2013
Whole fish is great if you can find it fresh - this looks very yummy and waist friendly for 2013 ;) Congratulations on your win!