Whole Fish
Cooking Skills: Fish and Shellfish 2
Chapter 1 · Whole Fish
Skill goal
Buy, prepare and cook a fish on the bone so it is moist, well seasoned and easy to serve.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A whole fish cooks on the bone, and the bones, skin and head hold in moisture and flavour, so it is harder to dry out than a fillet and looks wonderful on the table. The price is a little more work: ask the fishmonger to gut and scale it, check the eyes are clear and bulging, the gills bright red and the smell fresh and sea-like. Count on one fish of about 400 to 500 g per person, or a larger one of 1.5 kg for four.
Thickness is what matters, not weight. Slashing the skin two or three times each side lets heat reach the middle and stops the skin splitting. A fish is done when the flesh lifts easily from the bone at the thickest part of the back, or reads about 63°C (general guidance). Cooking Skills: Fish and Shellfish 1, chapter 1 covers buying and doneness for fillets, and chapter 3 covers parcels and open trays.
The method
- Buy it gutted and scaled, then rinse inside and out and pat very dry.
- Season inside and out, and fill the cavity with lemon slices and herbs (they scent the flesh).
- Slash the skin two or three times each side, just through the skin, for even cooking.
- Cook hot, about 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6), on a tray lined with baking paper, and don't turn it more than once.
- Test at the back: the flesh should lift from the bone; rest for 5 minutes, then serve by lifting the top fillet off in one piece.
| Method | Best for | Time (approximate) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open roast | Sea bream, bass, trout | 20 to 25 minutes at 200°C | Crisp skin, moist flesh |
| Pan then oven | Small trout, mackerel | 3 minutes + 10 minutes | Golden skin, quick |
| Salt crust | Bream, bass (1 kg) | 30 to 35 minutes at 200°C | Very moist, gently seasoned |
| Foil on the barbecue | Trout, mackerel | 15 to 20 minutes | Steamed, smoky, no sticking |
Raw fish, bones, hot oven and allergens
Raw fish: keep raw fish on its own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, and store raw fish on a plate on the bottom shelf of the fridge so it can't drip onto other food.Bones: even fillets can hide thin pin bones. Run a clean finger along the fillet and pull any bones out with tweezers, and warn children and anyone you serve. Whole sardines and mackerel have fine bones that are best taken out.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Allergens: fish is one of the 14 major allergens, and cross-contact is easy: it can pass on boards, oil, tongs and pans. Crustaceans (prawns), molluscs (mussels, scallops), gluten, milk and egg also appear in fish recipes. Always tell guests what is in a dish.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Whole roast sea bream with lemon and herbs
A classic. A bream of about 450 g per person, stuffed with lemon and herbs, roasted hot on a tray. The aim is crisp skin and flesh that lifts from the bone. Pat the skin dry and rub it with a little oil and salt so it crisps.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 whole sea bream (about 450 g each), gutted and scaled
- 1 lemon, half sliced and half in wedges
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Rinse and pat the fish dry. Slash each side twice, rub with oil and salt, and fill the cavity with lemon slices, thyme, garlic and parsley.
- Lay on a lined tray and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the flesh lifts from the bone at the thickest part of the back.
- Rest for 5 minutes and serve with lemon wedges, warning that bones remain.
Raw fish, bones and hot oven
Raw fish: keep raw fish on its own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, and store raw fish on a plate on the bottom shelf of the fridge so it can't drip onto other food.Bones: even fillets can hide thin pin bones. Run a clean finger along the fillet and pull any bones out with tweezers, and warn children and anyone you serve. Whole sardines and mackerel have fine bones that are best taken out.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Is it cooked?: fish is done when the flesh turns opaque (no longer glassy) and flakes easily with a fork. A probe thermometer reads about 63°C in the thickest part (general guidance). Take it off the heat a minute early, because it keeps cooking as it rests.
Level 2 · Pan and oven
Trout with almonds
Trout is small, cheap and quick, and almonds add crunch. Brown the fish in a pan first, then finish in the oven so the skin stays crisp. Brown the butter and almonds in a separate pan and spoon them over at the end.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 whole trout (about 350 g each), gutted
- 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 40 g butter
- 40 g flaked almonds
- 1 lemon, juice and wedges
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Pat the trout dry and dust lightly with flour.
- Sear in a hot ovenproof pan with the oil for 2 to 3 minutes a side until golden, then move to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a small pan, add the almonds and cook until nut-brown. Add the lemon juice and parsley, spoon over the fish and serve.
Hot pan, bones, allergens
Hot pan and hot oil: frying fish uses a hot pan and spitting oil. Dry the fish well, lay it down away from you, use a splash guard if you have one, keep the handle turned in and keep children well back.Bones: even fillets can hide thin pin bones. Run a clean finger along the fillet and pull any bones out with tweezers, and warn children and anyone you serve. Whole sardines and mackerel have fine bones that are best taken out.
Allergens: fish is one of the 14 major allergens, and cross-contact is easy: it can pass on boards, oil, tongs and pans. Crustaceans (prawns), molluscs (mussels, scallops), gluten, milk and egg also appear in fish recipes. Always tell guests what is in a dish.
Allergens: contains fish, nuts (almonds), milk and gluten.
Level 3 · Salt crust
A whole fish baked in a salt crust
The salt crust makes a sealed oven that steams the fish in its own juices. The fish does not become salty: the skin protects it. Crack the crust at the table, lift away the top, peel off the skin and serve the flesh. Use coarse salt and egg white to bind.
Ingredients (3 to 4 portions)
- 1 whole sea bass or bream (about 1 kg), gutted but not scaled
- 1 kg coarse sea salt
- 3 egg whites
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced (optional)
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Stuff the fish with lemon, thyme and fennel. Mix the salt, egg whites and water to a damp, sand-like paste.
- Spread a layer of salt on a lined tray, lay the fish on it and cover completely with the rest, patting it firm.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes, crack the crust with a spoon, lift off the pieces, peel the skin and serve.
Salt crust, hot oven, allergens
Salt crust and hot trays: a salt crust is heavy and holds heat for a long time. Lift the tray with both hands and dry oven gloves, rest it on a heatproof surface, and take care cracking the crust, because steam and hot salt escape. Keep children away.Bones: even fillets can hide thin pin bones. Run a clean finger along the fillet and pull any bones out with tweezers, and warn children and anyone you serve. Whole sardines and mackerel have fine bones that are best taken out.
Allergens: fish is one of the 14 major allergens, and cross-contact is easy: it can pass on boards, oil, tongs and pans. Crustaceans (prawns), molluscs (mussels, scallops), gluten, milk and egg also appear in fish recipes. Always tell guests what is in a dish.
Allergens: contains fish and egg.
Level 3 · Outdoor
A whole fish in foil on the barbecue
Foil stops a delicate fish sticking to the grate or breaking. Make the parcel generous, with a shaped dome for steam. It also works under a hot grill or in the oven if the weather is poor.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 whole trout or mackerel (about 350 g each), gutted
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 4 sprigs dill or parsley
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- Heat a barbecue to a medium heat with ash-covered coals. Lay each fish on a double sheet of oiled foil. Season it and fill with lemon, herbs and garlic.
- Fold the foil over and crimp the edges to seal with room above the fish for steam.
- Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once. Open away from your face, check the flesh lifts, and serve in the foil.
Hot foil, barbecue and bones
Hot foil parcels and barbecue: foil parcels hold boiling steam that scalds when opened. Open them away from your face with tongs and gloves. Use a barbecue outdoors only, never in a tent or garage, because it gives off carbon monoxide, and never leave it unattended.Barbecue safety: use a barbecue outdoors only, never in a tent, garage or indoors, because it gives off carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell. Never use petrol or extra lighter fluid on lit coals, keep children and pets away, and let the ash cool fully (often a full day) before putting it in a metal container. Charred, burnt meat is best kept to a minimum (general guidance).
Bones: even fillets can hide thin pin bones. Run a clean finger along the fillet and pull any bones out with tweezers, and warn children and anyone you serve. Whole sardines and mackerel have fine bones that are best taken out.
Is it cooked?: fish is done when the flesh turns opaque (no longer glassy) and flakes easily with a fork. A probe thermometer reads about 63°C in the thickest part (general guidance). Take it off the heat a minute early, because it keeps cooking as it rests.
Experiments
Experiment
Slashed or not
Even cooking.
- Roast two small trout, one slashed and one not.
Look for: The slashed fish cooks evenly and the skin stays whole; the unslashed one has a raw patch near the bone or a split skin.
Experiment
Stuffed or empty
Flavour.
- Roast two bream, one with lemon and herbs inside and one empty.
Look for: The stuffed fish smells and tastes of lemon and thyme; the empty one is plainer.
Experiment
Testing at the bone
Doneness.
- Test a bream at 15, 20 and 25 minutes by lifting the flesh near the backbone.
Look for: At 15 the flesh clings and is glassy; at 20 to 25 it lifts easily and is opaque.
Experiment
Whole against fillet
Moisture.
- Cook a whole trout and a trout fillet in the same oven for the same time.
Look for: The whole fish stays moister; the fillet dries out sooner because there are no bones or skin to protect it.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roast sea bream | ||||
| Trout with almonds | ||||
| Salt-crust fish | ||||
| Foil fish on the barbecue | ||||
| Slashed or not | ||||
| Stuffed or empty | ||||
| Testing at the bone | ||||
| Whole against fillet |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Skin sticks to the tray | Tray unlined or fish wet | Line with baking paper; pat the fish dry |
| Skin splits | Not slashed | Slash two or three times each side |
| Raw near the bone | Fish too thick or oven too low | Slash deeper; test at the back |
| Dry flesh | Overcooked | Take out a minute early and rest |
| Salt crust won't crack | Crust too thick | Use a spoon handle; keep it about 1 cm |
| Foil parcel leaks | Poorly sealed | Use double foil and crimp the edges |
Raw fish, bones and leftovers
Raw fish: keep raw fish on its own board and plate, away from food that won't be cooked. Wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water afterwards, and store raw fish on a plate on the bottom shelf of the fridge so it can't drip onto other food.Bones: even fillets can hide thin pin bones. Run a clean finger along the fillet and pull any bones out with tweezers, and warn children and anyone you serve. Whole sardines and mackerel have fine bones that are best taken out.
Leftover fish: cool cooked fish quickly, refrigerate it within 1 to 2 hours, and eat it within about 1 day (2 at most). Reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through. Do not refreeze fish that was frozen and thawed unless you cook it first.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can choose a fresh whole fish.
- I can slash and season a whole fish.
- I can tell when a whole fish is done.
- I can lift the fillets from a cooked fish.
- I can cook a fish in a salt crust or foil.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Fish and Shellfish 2, chapter 2 is Filleting and Stock: taking a fish apart and using the bones.