Roasted Slahsed Fish with Aromatic Paste Recipe | Tasting Table
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Servings:
2 Servings
Ingredients
  • One ¾-to 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated (about 1½ tablespoon)
  • 1 small shallot, grated (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 star anise pod, pounded with a mortar and pestle
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • One 2-pound whole fish, such as striped bass or branzino, gutted and scaled
  • Canola oil
  • 8 bay leaves, preferably fresh
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Make the paste: In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, chile, shallot and star anise. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the soy sauce to form a thick paste.
  2. Place the fish on an oiled baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 slashes (about 3/8- to ¾-inch deep and 1½- to 2-inches long) in the thickest part of the fish. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side. Using your fingers, rub the paste into the slashes, smearing the rest of the cavity and the top of the fish.
  3. Tuck the bay leaves into the slashes and cavity. Drizzle a little oil over the fish and place in the oven. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through; the flesh should be opaque and just coming away from the backbone.
  4. Bring the fish to the table in its roasting dish and ease large chunks of the flesh away from the bones with a knife and fork. Turn the fish over and remove the remaining flesh, then spoon any aromatic pan juices on each portion. Serve immediately.