Roasted B.C. Rockfish a.k.a. B.C. Snapper

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. B.C. Rockfish cleaned and scaled

Outer shell of one onion

Leaves of a celery stock

Stems of a parsley bunch

Generous amount of salt

White pepper

Approx. 1 tbsp cooking oil

Blood Orange Marinade

Ingredients:

Juice of a blood orange

Rind of the blood orange

Juice of half a lemon

Pinch of dry oregano

Pinch of dry basil

Sea salt and white pepper to taste

Add 3 parts more of extra virgin olive oil to the blood orange and lemon juice

Method:

Coat the rockfish with salt generously and a little white pepper. Stuff it with the onion, celery and parsley. Coat the fish lightly with cooking oil and place on an oven tray. Cover with foil and bake for 15 mins. in a preheated oven at 400 F. Reduce the heat to 375 F and remove the foil. Continue baking for another 10 mins. or until done. Check with a fork for doneness and cook longer if necessary.  While the fish is baking take a few minutes to make the marinade. In a small mixing bowl grate the rind from the blood orange and squeeze the juice in. Add the lemon juice and all the seasonings. Add three times the quantity of juice in olive oil but whisk the oil in slowly to emulsify. When the snapper is done remove the bones and drizzle the marinade over the fish before serving.

Ask your fishmonger if the snapper you're buying is longline caught or drag caught. Longline caught is of higher quality, is sustainable to the stocks, and is much more flavourful.

We welcome your feedback or questions at kostaz@telus.net or do stop by the Salmon Shop or Screaming Mimi’s Lonsdale Quay Market, North Vancouver.