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Whole Baked Fish

Simple way to cook a whole fish for a crowd.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked fish, dinner, dinner party, fish, seafood, whole baked fish

Equipment

  • 1 Wire rack optional

Ingredients

  • 1 whole fish 1 to 6 pounds
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 parsley bunch
  • olive oil
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put a rack on the top setting.
  • Mince 2 garlic cloves and slice 1 lemon. Set aside.
  • Transfer 1 whole fish to a cutting board and score the fish’s skin by lightly cutting three diagonal marks on each side of the fish.
  • Check the cavity and see if it’s large enough. If you want more space for ingredients, cut alongside the bottom edge of the fish.
  • Generously season the fish all over with Kosher salt, on the skin and inside the cavity.
  • Rub olive oil all over the fish.
  • Stuff the fish cavity with the minced garlic, lemon slices, and a handful of parsley from 1 parsley bunch
  • Transfer your fish to a lined baking sheet or a wire rack with a lined baking sheet. The wire rack isn’t necessary but it will make your fish skin crispier.
  • Transfer the baking sheet with the fish to the top rack of the oven.
  • Cook at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until flakey. You can test if your fish is ready with a fork before taking it out of the oven.
  • Serve your fish whole on the table with lemon wedges.