There are times when my spirit is not up to making a traditional dinner. You know those days when you just cannot muster the enthusiasm, but you have a whole fish sitting in the fridge waiting to be prepped and cooked. On those days I often bake the fish and serve as tacos. Just like today’s recipe Whole Baked Snapper Tacos.
Whole Baked Snapper Tacos is full of flavor, rich in taste and elegant. Ideal for a Sunday dinner or a casual dinner party. It’s a no mess no fuss recipe and ideal for those nights when you feel you ought to serve up something sophisticated but don’t have the energy to stand in front of the stove.
I love snapper and I know it’s a favorite of many. It can be grilled, broiled, fried, barbecued, you name it. However, for this dish I went simple, wrapped it in foil and baked it. As I said, sometimes you want a no nonsense meal and cooking snapper in this way allows for that.
To prepare the snapper, it should be scored twice on both sides, placed in a large piece of foil and then seasoned with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, fenugreek, turmeric, salt and pepper. The foil should be sealed around the snapper and then placed in the oven to cook until the scored flesh becomes opaque.
So what do you serve with your Whole Baked Snapper Tacos? Well, last Sunday, I served mine with chimichurri sauce and a mayo coated mixed salad. It’s all I had in the fridge that I could easily convert into a great fish topping. However, I have some other really delicious toppings you might like to try.
Whole Baked Snapper Tacos are also a great date night dish. There’s something about having to pull your food apart to make a meal, it’s gratifying and encourages sustenance. This is a dish that requires participation, so share it with someone.
Here’s a test to see how attentive your date is – get them to help you prepare the fish before and after cooking. Their level of participation may highlight their enthusiasm for sharing tasks that benefit you both. Food for thought.
Whole Baked Snapper Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 x 12 oz - 1 lb whole snapper cleaned
- 1/4 cup lemon juice + a good squeeze for cleaning the fish.
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse snapper in a bowl with cold water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove any errant scales left behind by the fishmonger with a knife .
- Pat fish dry with paper towels.
- Score each side of each snapper twice with a sharp knife.
- Mix together lemon zest, lemon juice, fenugreek, turmeric, garlic, salt and pepper and rub all over each fish, inside and out.
- Tear a large sheet of foil for each snapper and wrap each snapper up in it creating a pouch allowing room for the steam to move around.
- Place wrapped snapper on a large baking tray or dish and place in a preheated oven at 380 and cook for 10-15 mins.
- Open up each pouch but leave each snapper in its juices in the foil and place under the broiler on high until golden.
- Serve immediately with warmed tortillas and your favorite fish taco toppings.
