Whole Baked Fish with Garlic and Tarragon Butter
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use any type of fish that you like. From salmon to snapper, the classic flavours of lemon, garlic, and tarragon will marry beautifully.
How long will it take?
50 minutes
What’s the serving size?
Serves 4
What do I need?
- 1 kg potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1cm thick rounds
- 2 large lemons, sliced into 3mm thick rounds
- 1 red onion, sliced into thick rounds
- Bunch of fresh tarragon
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1+kg whole fish, scaled and gutted
- 80 g unsalted butter, softened
How do I make it?
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Place potatoes, lemon slices, onion, half the tarragon, and 4 cloves garlic in the base of a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 15 minutes, then turn and continue cooking for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Meanwhile, chop remaining tarragon finely and add to a bowl. Mince remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to bowl along with softened butter. Mix tarragon, garlic, and butter together and set aside.
- Increase heat to 220C.
- Score the flesh of the fish 6 times, then place it on top of the potatoes and lemons. Spread butter mixture generously over the fish, pushing it into the scores for maximum flavour. Season with salt and pepper.
- Return baking dish to the oven and roast for 20 -25 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
TOP TIPS
- To check if the fish is cooked, insert the tip of a sharp knife into one of the scores on the flesh. If you can easily tease the flesh from the bone, the fish is cooked.
- You can use smaller sized fish if you prefer. Adjust the cooking time to suit the size and number of fish you are cooking.
