A couple of blogs ago I did something on Quick Meat Patties in a Mustard Sauce. That started me to thinking, Why can’t I do the same thing with fish? This all came about when I decided to roast a whole fish I had acquired in Chinatown. I had been looking forward to this meal. I hadn’t cooked a whole fish in quite a while. But, necessity being the mother of invention, I checked my fridge and noticed I had some mustard and cream. So, why not combine the two and make what the French would call a moutard sauce?

It was a simple process: score the fish with a few cut marks, season, pour the mustard-cream sauce over it, and bake. Easy, quick, and nutritious. For an accompaniment we had baked scallion potatoes. Also an easy process: cut the potatoes in 1-inch chunks, drizzle with butter and bake along with the fish. At the finish, sprinkle with chopped scallions or parsley.

When baking the fish, I suggest any white firm-fleshed fish. Blue Fish may be too oily, and a whole salmon may be too cost prohibitive. The recipe also works well with fish fillets and fish steaks; although cooking time may vary depending upon thickness of fillets or steaks.

WHOLE FISH IN MUSTARD-CREAM SAUCE

1 whole fish (about 2-2 1/2 pounds), gutted, scaled, clean, with with head
and tail intact.
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup mustard ( Any good mustard will do—from Grey Poupon to
Gulden’s)
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (preferably organic)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash fish under cold running water and clean with paper towels. Then score fish on each side with three to four knife cuts across the body.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a small bowl, combine the mustard and heavy cream.
5. Place fish in a greased baking dish; and spread the mustard- cream
sauce over it.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until skin flakes easily with a knife or fork.
Yield: 4 servings.

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