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1
Season the fish with salt and bake in foil (see To Cook Fish in Foil, at below).
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2
For the sauce, soak the bread in water and squeeze dry.
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3
Put it in the food processor with the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, a little salt and pepper, and enough oil to have a cream the consistency of mayonnaise.
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4
Another way of making the sauce is to use fish stock instead of the 1/2 cup oil.
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5
For a party dish, choose a large, delicate fish such as sea bass, hake, catfish, or salmon.
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6
Have it skinned and filleted and put the fillets together in a large piece of foil.
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7
Cook as described in To Cook Fish in Foil, at below.
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8
Make 23 times the quantity of tarator sauce.
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9
Serve the fish cold, covered with the sauce, with the head and tail in place.
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10
The fish is usually decorated with a crisscross pattern, using fried pine nuts or flaked almonds.
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11
Alternative garnishes are: lemon slices, flat-leaf parsley, sliced green pickles, olives, radishes, and pieces of pimento.
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12
In many Middle Eastern countries, home cooks used to send fish to be cooked, wrapped in newspaper, at the bakers oven.
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13
Now they cook it in foil.
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14
In this way the fish is steamed in its own juice and the flesh remains moist.
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15
It can be a whole large fish, or the fillets arranged in the shape of a fish with the headif you want it for the presentationwrapped separately.
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16
Brush a large sheet of foil generously with extra-virgin olive oil.
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17
Place the fish or fillets in the middle and sprinkle lightly with salt.
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18
Wrap in a loose parcel, twisting the foil edges together to seal it.
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19
Bake at 450F since the packet is sealed, there is no danger of even a fillets drying out.
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20
The cooking time depends on the size of the fish.
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21
Test for doneness for a large fish after about 30 minutes.
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22
Cut down to the backbone at the thickest part and check that the flesh flakes away from the bone and has turned opaque right through.
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23
Fillets might be ready after 1520 minutes.
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24
Serve the fish hot or cold (let it cool in the foil) accompanied by a sauce.
