Baked Fish with Almond Stuffing
Submitted by jayp
Whole red snapper stuffed with toasted almonds, bread crumbs, celery, and tarragon, basted in melted butter until golden and flaky. A stunning centerpiece for any dinner table.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsBaked Fish with Almond Stuffing
Few things look more impressive on a dinner table than a whole roasted fish, and this one delivers on flavor just as hard as it does on presentation.
A big red snapper gets packed with a savory stuffing of toasted almonds, soft bread crumbs, sautéed onions, celery, and tarragon, all bound together with eggs.
Sewn shut and laid on a foil-lined pan, the fish roasts while you baste it generously with melted butter until the skin crisps up and the flesh turns snowy white and flaky.
It’s the kind of dish that makes everyone pause when it hits the table.
Kitchen Tips
- Toast the almonds first: Raw almonds are flat in flavor. A quick toast in a dry skillet brings out their nutty, buttery character.
- Don’t pack the stuffing too tight: Leave a little room for the stuffing to expand as it absorbs the fish juices during baking.
- Baste, baste, baste: Frequent butter basting is what keeps the fish moist over that long cook time. Set a timer every 15 minutes.
- Kitchen twine works fine: No need for a fancy trussing needle. A large sewing needle and kitchen twine will hold the cavity closed.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Sauté onion in 2 Tablespoons butter until soft. Add bread crumbs, celery, green pepper, almonds, eggs, parsley and tarragon and mix well.
Stuff cavity of fish with mixture and sew shut.
Melt 8 Tablespoons butter, line a large shallow baking dish with foil, and pour a little melted butter over the bottom.
Place fish on the foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting frequently with remaining melted butter, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Do not overcook
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