The Fishmonger’s Son

THE FISHMONGER’S SON is an invaluable collection of information, advice and recipes based on the most popular fish and shellfish to cook at home.

What is the best type of fish to use for a curry or stir-fry or to cook on the barbecue? What should we look for when buying fresh fillets at the supermarket or fishmonger? What are the foolproof techniques for shucking oysters and peeling prawns? 

The Fishmonger’s Son includes general cooking, storage and preparation tips, plus 70 delicious family recipes from burgers, bao and tacos, to pies, pasta and more. This is the ultimate home cook’s guide to buying, preparing and cooking the incredible seafood we have available in our part of the world …

---

BAKED SNAPPER FILLETS on a bed of lemony potatoes

This one-tray meal is delicious – the combination of potatoes and delicate snapper fillets with a lemony tang is just sublime. Ensure you slice your potatoes thinly to promote a quick cooking time and maximum crunch. You can easily sub in other white fish for this one.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large, unpeeled potatoes, finely sliced (see Notes)
• 1 lemon, finely sliced
• 1 red onion, finely sliced in rounds
• salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 snapper fillets (500-600g total), skin on
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme or flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve
• 2 lemons, cut in half, for squeezing and serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (conventional) and grease the base of a large baking dish with extra-virgin olive oil.

Layer slices of potato, lemon (reserve a few slices of lemon for topping) and onion around the dish, overlapping as you go. Season with a little salt and pepper and brush the potatoes with olive oil.

Place the potatoes in the oven to bake for around 30–40 minutes until golden and crunchy.

Pat the snapper fillets dry with paper towel and lightly season with a pinch of salt.

Retrieve the baking dish from the oven and place the fillets evenly on top of the potatoes, adding a few lemon slices on top of the fish. Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes. The snapper should be white and fluffy once cooked through.

Remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle with the thyme or parsley and add a squeeze of lemon. Serve straight from the baking dish to individual plates, with the lemon halves on the side if you like it more lemony. A simple green salad is a nice accompaniment.

---

FRIED WHITEBAIT MARINATO with a squeeze of lemon

This appetiser is popular in our Greek and Italian homelands and it’s great for a fry-up. When it comes to whitebait, the smaller the fish, the better, as whitebait is eaten whole. We love frying these up from fresh when we get them in the store, but frozen whitebait will work just as well.

SERVES 4 AS AN APPETISER

Ingredients

• 500g whitebait (see Note)
• juice of 2 lemons, plus 1 lemon, halved, to serve
• 300g plain flour mixed with:
  • 1 tsp sea salt and
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 500ml (2 cups) olive oil for deep frying
• salt flakes, to serve

Rinse and drain the whitebait in a colander, then transfer to a large bowl with the lemon juice and mix to ensure it’s well coated. Set aside to marinate for around 15–20 minutes.

Drain the whitebait – we let it sit in a colander to dry off a bit.

Meanwhile, place the seasoned flour in a deep bowl. Dip the whitebait into the flour in small batches, making sure they are well coated.

Using a deep fryer or deep frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it sizzles when you drop a little flour in. Fry the whitebait in batches until they are golden brown and crunchy, around 2–3 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Serve in a large shallow bowl with a sprinkle of salt flakes and some lemon halves for squeezing. 

---

Extracted from The Fishmonger’s Son by Anthony Yotis & Laura di Florio Yotis, published by Plum, RRP $44.99, photography by Mark Roper.