Recipes
Second course
Roast
Whole roasted fish with rosemary potatoes

Whole roasted fish with rosemary potatoes

Roast

Roasting

Not everyone is prepared to find a whole fish on their dinner plate. We found our underwater friend's underbite amusing; but teeth and eyeballs cause some squirm. Besides, many of us never learned what to do when presented with a whole fish for dinner. How does one go about removing the head, skin and spine in order to get to the the tender white fillet inside? In many cultures, though, eating whole fish is commonplace. Whole fish is more economical than fish fillets, and also much better tasting. Meats and fish cooked in their bones and skin are always moister and more savory than slices of meat or fish separated from the carcass. In Italy, roasted fish with rosemary potatoes are a common Sunday afternoon meal. Stefano's mom, Maria, visits the fish market on Saturday and picks out whichever fish looks the best—sometimes spigola (seabass), other times trota (trout). Freshness is important—signs of a not-so-fresh fish include a fishy smell, cloudy eyes, and a dry tail. In Italy, they will typically gut and scale your fish right there for you. In the States, they will often come scaled and gutted. On a side note, an Italian fish market is a spectacular sight—be sure to visit one when you are there.