Ingredients
- 1 x 1.5kg snapper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Several sprigs wild fennel
- 1 lemon
- 2 medium leeks, quartered lengthwise and well washed, sliced into 2cm pieces
- 3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2cm dice
- 3 medium potatoes (desiree, nicola or other yellow-fleshed variety), cut into 2cm dice
- 1/2 cup Super Tomato sauce or other good quality tomato pasta sauce or drained, crushed tinned tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
Method
Use an oven-proof flat dish that will hold the snapper and the vegetables and that can be brought to the table. Pour in a thin film of extra virgin olive oil.
Wipe fish inside and out with damp paper towels. Score the skin on one side to allow even heat penetration. Brush the fish with extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper inside and out. Rub the fennel stalks over the fish - the seeds will fall on to the oiled skin. Tuck the rest of the herb inside the cavity. Cut 3 slices of lemon. Quarter each slice and tuck into the score marks. Squeeze the rest of the lemon over the fish and then cut the spent lemon into 2-3 pieces and place in the cavity of the fish.Transfer fish to oiled baking dish.
Preheat oven to 200C.
In a separate, heavy-based frying pan cook the diced leeks and carrots in extra virgin olive oil, covered, over a moderate heat. Stir from time to time. It may take about 20 minutes for the vegetables to be just tender.
Cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes only, then drain. Dry potatoes in a cloth. Toss them in 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Scatter the leeks and carrots around the fish. Scatter the oiled potatoes on top of the leeks and carrots. Season the vegetables lightly. Mix the tomato and the wine and pour around the fish.
Drizzle everything with a little more extra virgin olive oil, cover the whole dish with aluminium foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove foil for the last 10 minutes and then check the fish is cooked (in the score marks, the flesh should be opaque to the bone). The potatoes should be crisp and the other vegetables should be soft and juicy.
