Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck
Mediterranean Grilled Whole Snapper with Fennel and a Pernod Butter Sauce
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 414
- Total Fat
- 19
- Saturated Fat
- 9
- Carbohydrates
- 10
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 4
- Protein
- 48
- Cholesterol
- 114
- Sodium
- 841
- Total: 1 hr
- Prep: 35 min
- Cook: 25 min
Ingredients
1 whole red snapper, about 3 pounds, gills, gut and scales removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heads fennel
6 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs oregano
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sauce:
1/4 cup water
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon Pernod
Reserved fennel leaves, from above
6 tablespoons butter, in pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the grill to high.
- Rinse the snapper in clean water. Pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Remove any large fins with sharp kitchen shears. Season the inside of the fish with salt and pepper.
- Remove the leafy green tops from the fennel heads. Using the greens from 1 of the fennel heads, stuff the inside of the fish. Reserve the fennel bulbs and the remaining greens. Add the thyme and oregano and press closed. Make 3 diagonal slices on each side of the fillet. Cut down to the bone. Insert 1 lemon slice into each slit. Brush the whole fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Clean the surface of the grill with a grill brush. Brush the surface of the hot grill with olive oil. Place the stuffed red snapper on the preheated grill at a 45 degree angle and cook for about 10 minutes or until the fish easily lifts off the grill. With 2 spatulas, carefully turn 90 degrees and continue to cook another 5 minutes. Turn fish and cook the other side to desired doneness, at least another 10 minutes. Do not overcook.
- Meanwhile, cut the reserved fennel bulbs into 1/4-inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill until tender and golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
- For the sauce: Place a small saucepan on the grill or on a burner over medium heat. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon juice and Pernod and reduce by 1/3. With the remaining reserved fennel leaves, remove the tender inner leaves and chop finely. You should have about 1/4 cup chopped fennel. Set aside. Remove the water/lemon mixture from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time. When the butter is incorporated, add the chopped fennel leaves and whisk well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- When the fish is cooked and the flesh is opaque and lifts easily from the bone, carefully remove using 2 sturdy metal spatulas and place on a platter.
- Serve the fish with some of the Pernod butter sauce and grilled fennel.