Well, VINO 2010 is in full swing and it has been a bit of a let down. The seminars I have been to have not been as informative as I had hopped. However, the walk around tastings have been good with a slew of interesting wines from throughout Italy. Since I don't have much to report on the event, here is my fish story.

Cooking is one my many passions and it allows me to enjoy my new kitchen and invite people over for dinner. My first foray into using our kitchen was devoted to baking the above fish, a 7 pound red snapper. Now, if you are squeamish about whole animals this meal is not for you but you should work hard at getting over the aversion to heads and body parts. Many of the most delicious cuts are found in those places (I love the cheeks of fish, very tender). I have only cooked a whole fish once before and I loved it so much that I decided to try it again. This time, having an in with a chef to help procure a sizable fish that was fresh made this much easier. In most places you can find a good fish market that will have fresh fish. Here are some quick tips:

1. The fish should NOT smell
2. When buying a whole fish look at the gills...they must be bright red
3. Look at the eyes...they need to be glassy and dark. If the eyes are cloudy the fish is getting old

 The menu that I wanted to prepare is based on my love of Greek food. My trip to Greece in 2007 was a culinary adventure that introduced me to some of the most tasty and simple cuisine I have seen. In my 10 days there I had fish 90% of the time and it was fantastic, either grilled, whole roasted or salt baked. Each preparation involved fresh herbs, lemons and olive oil and that is IT! My other inspiration for wanting a simple whole fish with greens,quinoa salad, tzatziki and taramosalata was the fact that five days a week I eat at the Osteria and the food is pretty heavy, so I try to balance it out on my nights off (I also go to the gym, and have figured out what dishes are the "healthiest").

Salt encrusted baking is an age old cooking method in which you create an oven within an oven that regulates the temperature and moisture, cooking the fish evenly and keeping it moist. The most difficult part is that you cannot pull the fish out to check the temperature of the meat, so knowing the temperature of your oven and the time you cook the fish is very important. The preparation is VERY easy and does not take much time.

Ingridents

1 whole fish gutted and scaled (6 pounds served 6 people with left overs)

2 lemons sliced into circles

1 leek sliced (white and light green parts only)

1 fennel sliced bulb

1 teaspoon Fennel seeds

1 teaspoon black pepper corns

1 teaspoon Anise seeds

1 teaspoon Juniper berries

8 cups of rock, kosher, or sea salt (coarse)

3 egg whites

1/4 cup of water

Olive oil

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small pan place fennel, black pepper, anise and juniper. Roast on stove above medium heat until aromas permeate the air. Let cool. While seeds are cooling, pat the fish dry inside and out. Take seeds and place in spice mill or pestle. Grind spices until they are a powder. Rub the powder inside the cavity of the fish. Stuff the cavity of the fish with the fennel, leeks and lemons. In large bowl mix egg whites and water together until they foam. Once foamed add salt and mix until all the salt has become moist. Line a pan that is big enough to hold the fish with foil. On the bottom make a bed of salt that is as wide and long as the fish. Place the fish on the salt bed and begin to pile the salt around and on top of the fish. The layer of salt does not need to be too thick (1/4 of an inch at most).

Once complete put fish in oven for 35 to 40 minuets until the salt is a touch brown. To open, take butt of knife and crack the salt seal and peel salt off. Remove fish, fillet and serve. Garnish with olive oil, and lemon slices.

I forgot to take a picture after I  broke the crust, as I was super hungry and wanted to get to eating. As for wine, this meal was a white wine's paradise but there are some lighter bodied reds that would be great with this dish to. I am a HUGE fan of Greek wines so if you are going to make this dish, go out and find a white wine from Santorini (the grape will be Assyrtiko). If you are really "jonesing" for a red wine try a wine from Valle d' Aoste in Italy (Les Cretes is a great producer and can be found across the US in fine wine shops) - they are light in body but have amazing earthy flavors and brightness that match fish well, also look to reds from the Jura, specifically from the Arbois.(one of my favorites is Jacques Puffeney an amazing producer!). The fish was perfect and I look forward to doing this again! Now get out there, buy or catch a whole fish and cook it up!