Whole Roasted Snapper with Chimichurri, Spanish Rice, and Black Beans
I LOVE having whole roasted snapper with chimichurri. The two are a match made in heaven! A chimichurri sauce is like a pesto...you take a bunch of fresh greens, and chop them up with some other tasty flavors like garlic and onion. No nuts in this sauce, though! And it is a great way to utilize all the delicious herbs in season.
Preheat to 390F. If you would like to grill the fish instead of roast, you can skip this step.
Rinse your rice 3 times. Add it to your pot with the cumin, tomato sauce and fill your tomato sauce can with water and put that in the pot, too. Stir well. Bring to boil. Remove the lid. Stir well again. Lower to simmer, and stir every few minutes so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
To make the chimichurri, add 2 tbsp lime juice, parsley, cilantro, garlic, white wine vinegar, onion, oregano, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Give your rice a good stir.
Cut 5 deep slits on each side of the fish. Do not go through the spine or to the other half of the fish. Give your rice a stir.
Rub a thin layer of olive oil on your baking pan so the fish doesn't stick. Place the slices of lime inside the fish. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Give your rice a stir. It will be ready when it has absorbed all the liquid.
Bake for 7-10 minutes per side depending on the size of your fish. I used 1-lb. snappers and cooked them for 7-8 minutes per side. OR grill 7-10 minutes per side. It is ready when you pull on a fin and it comes out easily.
Skin (or not), and slather with the chimichurri. Make sure you get some chimichurri inside the slits you cut in the fish. Once you filet the fish on one side, the spine comes out easily and the other side is ready to eat!