Baked Snapper with Garlic and Smoked Paprika Crust
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) whole snapper, cleaned and
scaled
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon butter
11/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
300 g (101/2 oz/11/4 scant cups) tinned chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian
(flat-leaf) parsley
150 ml (5 fl oz) olive oil
2 large brown onions, sliced into rings
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) new potatoes, peeled
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) dry white wine
Serves 2
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4).
On each side of the snapper, make three diagonal cuts through the thickest part of the fish to the bone. Then, using a large mortar and pestle, crush together the garlic, butter, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Add the tomatoes and parsley and crush to create a paste. Season with cracked black pepper, to taste. Rub the paste all over the fish, ensuring the cuts and stomach cavity are well coated.
Put the olive oil and onions in a shallow roasting tin and place the fish on top. Arrange the potatoes around the fish and scatter with sea salt. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Pour the wine over the fish, return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until just cooked, basting often with the pan juices until the flesh
is opaque — it should flake easily with a fork when pressed into the widest part of the fish.
Serve the fish and potatoes straight from the oven or arrange on a platter.
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