Home >Recipes >Whole Roast Fish with Asparagus and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Serves: 4

• Fish:
• 25 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling roasting pan(s)
• 4 fish, 1 1/2 lb each, heads on, cleaned, and scaled
• gray salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cooked for 4 minutes in boiling, salted water
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 lemons, halved

• Vegetables:
• 16 baby carrots
• 1 med fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, then each half cut into quarters
• 1 med yellow onion, halved lengthwise, then each half cut into thirds
• 12 brussel sprouts, cut in half
• 1 lb mushrooms, wild or domestic cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp fennel spice mix
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Put the garlic in a small pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Drain, reserve the garlic. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Oil 1 or 2 roasting pans or baking sheets. Make 3 diagonal slashes, 1/2 inch deep, on both sides of each fish so they will cook evenly. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, and rub each fish all over with about 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the fish in the prepared pans. Scatter the thyme sprigs around and over the fish. Roast until almost done, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, scatter the asparagus and garlic over the fish, return to the oven, and continue to cook until done, about 10 minutes longer. Arrange the fish, asparagus, and garlic on warmed individual oval plates. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Squeeze the lemon halves over all and serve immediately.