Provencal Herb-Stuffed Whole Fish

A whole fish on the table is a different kind of meal. It asks a little more of you, and it gives a little more back. If you have been eating carefully for weeks, working your way through elimination and watching for what settles your body, this is the dish that reminds you the protocol can be generous, a fish dressed in greens and herbs and lemon, baked slow, served with its own juices.

Whole fish is one of the better things you can put on an autoimmune plate. It is a source of omega-3 fatty acids and selenium, both of which support the body you are working to calm, and the greens tucked into the cavity, spinach and Swiss chard, add folate and magnesium. You are feeding the parts of you that are trying to come back into balance.

Buy the fish from someone you trust, wild-caught if you can. Look at it before you cook it. There is an old reverence in cooking a whole creature, head to tail, wasting nothing, and that reverence belongs at your table as much as the lemon does.

Ingredients

Stuffing:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for the pan
• 2/3 cup chopped spinach
• 2/3 cup chopped Swiss chard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Fish:

• one 4 lb whole fish, cleaned and scaled (wild red snapper works well)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 1/2 cup fish stock or vegetable stock, plus 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (this replaces the dry white wine in the source so the dish stays Core; the broth carries the moisture and the vinegar carries the brightness)

Method

In a skillet, warm a little olive oil and add all the stuffing ingredients: spinach, Swiss chard, garlic, parsley, green onions, coconut milk, and salt. Cover and cook gently for about 8 minutes, until the greens collapse and reduce down. Taste and adjust the salt.

Heat the oven to 375F. Oil a gratin or baking dish and scatter the sliced yellow onion, sliced garlic, thyme, dill, and a little salt across the bottom.

Pack the cooked stuffing into the cavity of the fish. Salt the outside of the fish and lay it in the dish. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over it, then lay overlapping lemon slices along the body. Pour the stock and white wine vinegar into the bottom of the dish.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, basting often with the pan liquid. Raise the heat to 400F for the final 10 minutes to finish. Serve with the pan juices spooned over and an arugula salad alongside.

*Adapted from asquirrelinthekitchen.com*