RECIPE: Whole roast snapper with red miso butter from More Fish, More Veg!

by |August 15, 2022
COOK by Karen Martini

As simple, delicious, and practical as it sounds, More Fish, More Veg puts sustainable seafood and seasonal veg at the centre of your dinner plate.

Tom Walton is renowned for his less-fuss, max-flavour, family-friendly approach that makes getting delicious meals on the table a pleasure. In More Fish, More Veg, he shares his top techniques as well as pointers on sustainability and seasonality that takes the guesswork out of what to buy. Then, season by season, Tom shares his favourite recipes that let veggies and seafood really shine in your kitchen.

This is such a simple yet spectacular dish – a lesson in quality, restraint, and letting a few good ingredients shine. Serve the snapper with something grainy, like rice or quinoa, and a green leafy salad with a sharp dressing. For another vibe, pull the fish off the bone and toss it through some cooked pasta or noodles, using the butter as the decadent sauce.

Don’t be limited to just using snapper – try other in-season whole fish like bream, silver perch, flathead or leatherjacket


Whole roast snapper with red miso butter

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 x 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) whole snappers, cleaned
  • Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup (310 g) miso butter (see below)
  • 1 bunch chives, finely snipped, to serve
  • Baby sorrel leaves, to serve (optional)
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
  • Green leafy salad, to serve
  • Steamed rice or cooked quinoa, pasta or noodles, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F) and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Remove the fish from the fridge at least 30 minutes in advance, allowing it to come to room temperature and cook evenly.

Dry the fish well with paper towel, then cut three or four shallow slits on both sides and place it on the tray. Season with a little salt and pepper, drizzle with the olive oil and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the miso butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it is melted but not split. Spoon a quarter of this over the fish and return it to the oven for a further 5–7 minutes.

Carefully transfer the fish to a serving plate, spoon the remaining miso butter over the top and sprinkle with the chives and baby sorrel leaves, if using. Serve with lemon wedges, a green leafy salad and the rice, quinoa, pasta or noodles.

Note Ask your fishmonger to clean the fish for you, if you like.

Miso butter

This is the holy grail of flavoured butters. It is amazing melted over whole roast fish, grilled split prawns, seared scallops or in a pot of mussels. Game over!

You could also try it spooned onto whole roast sweet potato (kumara) – just split the sweet potato open and spoon it over; nothing else needed. Same goes for roast cauliflower, cabbage or eggplant (aubergine). It’s also delicious tossed through pasta with some squid or prawns (shrimp) – there’s endless inspiration!

Ingredients

  • 150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2–3 tablespoons white miso
  • ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Ground black pepper
  • Splash of sriracha chilli sauce (optional)

Method

Bring the butter and miso to room temperature, then place in a bowl with the paprika, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and sriracha (if using). Mix well.

Spoon the butter mixture onto a sheet of baking paper and roll into a log, using the baking paper to wrap it. Twist the ends to secure and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

 More Fish, More Veg by Tom Walton (Murdoch Books) is out now.

More Fish, More Vegby Tom Walton

More Fish, More Veg

Simple, sustainable recipes and know-how for everyday deliciousness

by Tom Walton

A delicious answer to eating more sustainably: simple, family-friendly flavours with easy seafood techniques by renowned recipe writer and chef Tom Walton.

Order NowRead More

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