Its name translates as ‘crazy water’ but there’s nothing mad about this great fish dish
If cooking a whole fish isn’t an option but you love the sound of this recipe, thick white fish fillets will work wonderfully.
Cooking a whole fish can be intimidating: with bones, head and scales, it’s a lot to navigate. But from one home cook to another, once you’ve mastered it you won’t look back. Not only does a whole fish make an impressive presentation, but cooking it on the bone, as with meat, delivers the best flavour. It can also be a more economical way to buy fish, as you aren’t paying for it to be filleted.
Today’s recipe, snapper acqua pazza, is what made me fall in love with cooking whole fish at home. Acqua pazza, an Italian classic from the Amalfi coast, translates to “crazy water”, and it couldn’t be more fitting. A vibrant, flavour-packed broth – spiked with tomatoes, chilli, garlic, parsley and capers – gently poaches the fish, capturing the bright essence of spring/summer cooking. While you could make it on the stovetop, I prefer roasting it in the oven. In fact, this is a one-tray bake, which makes the idea of cooking a whole fish even simpler.
I’ve chosen a NSW snapper as its size and price make it approachable – perfect when building your confidence. Bream would be another great choice. Look for the freshest fish, with clear eyes, bright red gills, a clean smell and plump, firm flesh.
Don’t hesitate to lean on your fishmonger for advice on the best choice, and ask them to scale, clean and gut the fish for you.
The best way to check if a fish is cooked is to look for tell-tale signs: the eyes and flesh will turn opaque, the flesh will flake easily, and the belly fin should pull out with little effort. If you need to inspect the fish closely to ensure it’s cooked, don’t worry – the beautiful tomatoes here will hide any imperfections.
Try to my other recipe this week: hazelnut cookies.
Snapper Acqua Pazza
If cooking a whole fish isn’t an option but you love the sound of this recipe, thick white fish fillets will work wonderfully. Just adjust the cooking time: roast the tomatoes longer, and cook the fillets for a shorter period.
Ingredients
- 800g snapper, scaled and cleaned
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bunch parsley
- 3 garlic cloves
- 400g cherry tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 125ml white wine
- 150ml water
- Zest of 1 lemon
Method
- Remove fish from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking so it comes to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan-forced). Make 3 slashes in the thickest part of the fish on both sides, near the gills. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, then stuff about a quarter of the parsley and 2 smashed garlic cloves into it. Set the fish aside.
- Halve most of the tomatoes, leaving the smaller ones whole. Keep a few on the vine for presentation if you like. Place them in a baking tray big enough to hold the fish. Mince remaining garlic clove.
- Finely chop the remaining parsley, reserving a small handful for garnish. Add the parsley to the tray along with the garlic, capers and dried chilli. Pour in the wine and water, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 10 minutes to give the tomatoes a head start.
- Remove from the oven, place the fish on top and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Remove tray from the oven, grate over zest, season to taste and garnish with reserved parsley. Spoon over plenty of the “crazy water” and finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serves 2