Red Snapper with Tomatoes and Fennel

Ingredients:

• 1 whole red snapper (2 lbs.), cleaned and scaled

• 3 to 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1 1/4 tsp sea salt, divided

• 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided

• 1/4 tsp each ground cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, clove, anise or fennel seeds

• 1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

• 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

• 2 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp roughly chopped fennel fronds, plus more for garnish

• lemon wedges for serving, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 2 rimmed baking sheets or dish in oven.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, toss together tomatoes and 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

3. In a separate bowl, toss together fennel, onion, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until evenly coated.

4. Remove heat baking sheets or dish. Evenly spread tomatoes in one pan/dish and fennel mixture in the other pan/dish. Return to the oven and roast until tomatoes are blistered and beginning to burst about 20 to 30 minutes; and until fennel and onion are browned and crispy around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Stirring each half way through roasting time. Remove from oven and transfer roasted vegetables to a large bowl. Cover to keep warm.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Pat snapper dry. Cut off fins and discard. Score the fish to make 3 3-inch-long and 1/4-inch deep slits on each side. Place fish on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. In a small bowl, combine cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, clove, anise or fennel seeds with 1 to 2 tablespoons water to form a thin paste. Rub on both sides of the fish and inside. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step can be done while the vegetables are roasting.

7. Remove fish from refrigerator and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over fish. Roast fish for 35 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 135°F or it flakes easily when a fork is inserted.

8. Add lemon juice and fennel fronds to vegetables along with any remaining oil.

9. Transfer fish to a large serving platter and pull to remove dorsal fin bones along top of fish.

10. Spoon vegetable mixture over fish and garnish with additional fennel fronds.

11. Serve immediately.

Notes&Tips:

• Red Snapper is one of my favorite type of fish to eat. It has a thick flesh that is succulent. I also like to cook this type of fish whole.

• You can prepare the vegetables before hand and roast them the day you will be making this dish or roast them and then reheat on the day you will be serving.

• Red Snapper with Tomatoes and Fennel is a delicious dish that is worth the time it takes to prepare. Serve this dish on special occasions for a lovely weekend dinner.