This is a very low maintenance dish. You bake the fish, having first sprinkled it with a little salt inside and out. When the fish comes out of the oven, you simply pour over some fragrant oil -- and by fragrant I mean that your whole house will smell as delicious as the dish tastes -- and serve. Minimal effort for a majorly flavorful result.
I used a whole Branzino because L. and I both like it and the price is right, but any type of fish that you like would work, even filets rather than a whole fish. I originally planned on chopping the garlic very finely but, since I was having my portion with an avocado and baby leaf salad, rather than the steamed rice that I really wanted (lucky L.), decided to go a bit bigger so that my salad would be studded with little pops of frizzled ginger.
1 whole fish, around 3 lbs, butterflied for easy serving if possible
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped peeled ginger root
1 tsp lees from a bottle of homemade Szechuan chili oil, or 1/2 tsp store bought chili oil
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400.
Salt the cavity of the fish and rub some on the skin as well. Spread the fish open on a lined baking tray, skin side up as illustrated below, keeping in mind that in my photo the fish is cooked and I am beginning to filet it. You want to leave the skin as is until you reach that point.
Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven.
A few minutes before you remove the fish from the oven, heat the oil in a small pan. Allow it to get very hot.
Add the scallions, ginger and chili oil and cook through until the ginger is very fragrant and a richer golden brown and the chopped scallion has softened and is frizzled in places.
Remove the filets from the fish and spoon over some of the aromatics from the hot oil, and a tiny bit of the oil as well.
Serve at once.
This oil is traditionally used for fish, but it is equally delicious over crab or even broccoli or steamed squash.
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