Snapper

Ingredients:

• 3kg gilled, gutted and scaled snapper,

• salt flakes

• 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cups of fish stock

• 4 finely sliced garlic cloves

• 30 pitless green or black olives, if needed remove the pits

• 2 cups of Vernaccia or a dry white wine

• 150gm diced butter

• ⅓ cup finely sliced flatleaf parsley leaves,

Method:

1. Remove snapper from fridge 30-40 minutes before cooking.

2. Cover and set aside in a cool place to come to room temperature.

3. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, trim the snapper’s fins and tail. Thoroughly rinse the belly cavity removing any blood and pat dry.

4. Score on both sides with 5 or 6 diagonal cuts, angled towards the tail, just through to the bone.

5. Sprinkle both sides of the fish generously with salt and pat it into the skin.

6. Heat a large baking dish on the stove top. Add oil and when hot, place the fish into it, scored side down.

7. Cook for about 6mins, until skin is crisp, then turn and cook for a further 4 mins, turn off heat and leave in frypan.

8. Preheat oven to 220°C

9. Meanwhile place fish stock in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

10. Scatter the garlic and olives over the top of the fish and add vernaccia or wine.

11. Reheat frypan and bring to the boil then add fish stock.

12. Cover tightly with a double layer of foil and place in the preheated oven at 220°C for about 25mins, until fish is cooked thoroughly, basting frequently.

13. Check the flesh where the fish is scored, that is the flesh near the bone on the thickest part of the fish which should be white.

14. Remove from the oven, place fish on a platter, cover loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place.

15. Place the baking dish with the juices from the fish, on the stove top over a high heat, bring cooking juices to the boil until reduced by a third.

16. Whisk in the butter, stir in the parsley and spoon sauce over the fish.