Roasted Whole Red Snapper

I picked up a fresh whole red snapper at Costco this afternoon from those fresh seafood displays. This was a great and easy recipe. I had chives in my garden and diced up some cloves of garlic with sesame oil, salt and oil. We all loved it...including the kids.

ASIAN INGREDIENTS

One whole 3-pound red snapper, cleaned and scaled

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for rubbing

MEDITERRANEAN INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for rubbing

CARIBBEAN INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for rubbing

DIRECTIONS

Pick your favorite flavor combination (Asian, Mediterranean or Caribbean, at left).

PREPARE THE FISH: Choose one of the flavor combinations and chop all of the ingredients except the oil together with a large pinch of salt. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and stir in the oil. Make 5 parallel 3-inch-long slashes on each side of the snapper, slicing almost through to the bone. Lightly season the fish with salt and fill the slashes with the paste. Rub the fish all over with canola oil.

COOK THE FISH: Preheat the oven to 425°. Transfer the fish to a heavy rimmed baking sheet so it stands upright. To keep the fish stable, splay the belly flaps and set a crumpled foil ball under the tail. Roast the fish for 30 minutes, until the flesh just flakes. Transfer the fish to a platter. Using 2 forks, lift the fillets off the bones and serve.