Do you have someone in your life who you are trying to impress? If so, pull out your grocery list right now because I have the perfect, wow-the-crowd meal to do the trick. Nothing says “yeah..I’m a boss in the kitchen” quite like pulling a whole red snapper.. eyes and all… out of the oven with the glorious smell of garlic, roasted vegetables, and fresh herbs following close behind.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend invited Chef Amber Antonelli of The Naked Bite to my house to teach me how to make her special, aromatic, and very healthy whole snapper recipe. This fish dish will leave you and your incredibly impressed dinner date full of vitamins, lean protein and omegas which leave skin glowing and hair shining. Check out the super easy and super impressive recipe below!

RECIPE

8 TBS Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

8 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced

2 Sweet Potatoes

2 Turnips

1/2 Medium Yellow Onion -very thinly sliced

1/2 Cup Sherry or White Wine

2 TBS Red Wine Vinegar

1 Whole Snapper (2-3 pounds)

A Generous amount of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt and Pepper

1 Lemon -thinly sliced into whole rounds

1/3 Cup Chopped Dill

1/3 Cup Chopped Italian Parsley

1 baking pan, at least 1-inch deep and big enough to fit the whole snapper

Serves 4-6

 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix Olive Oil and Garlic in a bowl and set aside.
• Cut sweet potatoes and turnips into 2 inch chunks and spread out on pan along with onions, wine/sherry, vinegar and half the garlic oil mixture. 
• Score the skin of the snapper by making diagonal cuts from the dorsal fin to the belly, about 3 scores per side, 1/4 inch deep. Scoring your fish allows for more even cooking, and also allows you to impart more flavor throughout the fish!
• Rub the snapper inside and out with the remaining garlic oil, being sure to get some in the slits. Season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Lay the snapper on top of the vegetables. Stuff the inside with the half of the herbs and lemon slices and lay remaining lemon slices over top of the fish.
• Pour the wine and red wine vinegar into the pan before placing the fish in the oven
• Roast about 40 minutes (20 for each inch of thickness) until the flesh just begins to flake. Resist the urge to constantly open the oven to check on the fish, as that will only release hot air from the oven quickly. Remove from oven and spoon some of the juices on top of the fish. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and serve to your starstruck date!