Whole Holiday Dinner, Easy and Impressive
Impressive: a word never far from my mind when dreaming up Christmas dinner. Easy: probably the last word I am thinking of when plotting for a full day in the kitchen. Impressive and easy are two words that do not coexist well in the world of holiday cooking.
This year is different. This year I want it both ways. I want dinner to be a spectacle to behold visually and taste delicious while not leaving me with a backache and sore wrists from standing and chopping all afternoon.
How about (my mom suggested) fish? Not a bad idea, Mom. Individual fish fillets might be too much hassle and a bit ordinary, but a whole fish, now there’s an idea that has legs, er, fins.
A whole fish is never anything but impressive. While this style of fish cookery graces the tables of large family style Chinese banquets, whole fish cooking is not as common a practice in American homes. It is too bad, because for all the grandeur of presentation, it is not a terribly difficult technique to master.
There are as many ways to cook whole fish as there are cooking implements. If small enough, as with trout, sautéing will do the trick. Find a large enough steamer basket and a steamed black bass or grouper Chinese-style is within reach. If you are comfortable with a deep fryer or oil-filled wok, deep fried fish makes for a particularly stunning presentation. For most people, however, the easiest option (with least chance of oil-splattering damage) will be to bake the fish in the oven at a moderate temperature.
Another benefit of the whole fish is its complete adaptability to the size of the dinner party. Christmas crowd small this year? A three-pound sea bass will easily feed four. Eight people coming? Roast two fish instead. There will be more than enough room in the oven. If your party size is pushing twelve, consider going all the way with a seven to eight pound whole, head on, wild salmon.
No matter how big the fish, the technique is the same. Start with building a layer of aromatics on a rimmed baking sheet. You can go Asian here with ginger, onion, and lime. Or more Mediterranean with fennel, lemon, orange, and leeks. The fish, cleaned and scaled by the fishmonger, is seasoned inside and out then placed atop the aromatics. The fish goes in a moderate oven until the internal temperature is in the range of 135°F to 140°F. If crispy skin is your thing, move the rack to the top and turn the oven to broil. Put the fish back in the oven just long enough to get browned and crispy.
You may chose to serve the fish with a sauce, or go without, or simply drizzle on some of the pan juices. If you opt for Mediterranean style, you may take a nod from the French and use your extra time to whip up a beurre blanc, the frothy classic combination of reduced vinegar and whipped, warm butter. Chinese typically forgo the pan sauces as too fishy, but may drizzle on a soy-rice wine vinegar mixture just before serving.
If you take the plunge and go for the whole fish, just remember those two magic words: impressive and easy. A whole fish is a grand and elegant presentation worthy of the holiday season. Once in the oven, the cooking takes care of itself. All that’s left is to kick back, open a bottle of wine, and let the compliments roll in.
Made with parsley, garlic, lemon, black sea bass, salt and black pepper, olive oil, leek, fennel bulb, orange
Serves/Makes: 2
- 1 1/2 pound whole black sea bass, scaled, and gutted
- salt and black pepper
- olive oil
- 1 large leek
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1/2 medium orange
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- flat leaf parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse fish and pat dry. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Cut leek in half lengthwise and rinse under running water to remove dirt. Slice into 1/2-inch batons. Remove and discard fennel fronds. Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise then thinly slice. Cut orange and lemon into slices 1/4-inch thick.
Stuff the cavity of the fish with half the lemon slices, garlic, and a few parsley sprigs. Toss the cut leeks, fennel, and remaining citrus with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper. Layer the vegetables on a rimmed sheet pan to form bed for the fish. Place the fish on top and drizzle with a little more olive oil.
Place sheet pan in middle of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the fish is flaky or a thermometer inserted into the thickest part register 135-140 degrees F. If desired, turn the oven to broil and cook fish for an additional 2 minutes until crispy.
Serve fish with fennel mixture and pan juices or another sauce, such as beurre blanc or brown butter.
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