The whole fish is a treat.
Cooking whole fish allows sugars in the bones to dissolve, resulting in sweeter meat and an excellent presentation. For most fish, removing the bones after the fish is cooked is easy. Slice into the meat at the tail with the blade facing the cutting board. Don't cut through the bone. Make a parallel cut behind the gill. Then connect those lines with long cut along the length of the fish. Move the meat out of the way, and lift the tail straight up, and the head and bones will go with it. Some fish however, is so bony, there are few with the skill to remove all the bones. Shad, for example, has a double layer of bones, and is among the most difficult fish to fillet. It can be like eating a ball of stiff hair if cooked like a normal fish. Use a special method to help deal with the bones.
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Place it in a pan. Cover the fish with bacon and surround it with sliced lemons.
3. Add about 1 cup of water to the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
4. Bake the fish for six to seven hours. Check every hour or so to make sure there is enough water in the pan. This method of cooking will allow the bones in the fish to dissolve. Don't turn up the heat to make this recipe go faster. You'll burn the fish before the bones are edible.
Tags: fish with, whole fish
