Synagrida me Estragon sto Fourno -- Red Snapper Baked with Tarragon

Synagrida (Greek for red snapper) is my favorite fish. I love its tender meat and its versatility as it can easily be grilled, baked or broiled whole and paired with virtually any sauce or flavoring.

Simply grilled and then dressed with ladolemono (olive oil-lemon sauce) is probably my favorite way to enjoy this red-fleshed fish when eating at a taverna, but at home I like to prepare it either plaki or baked then broiled with different herbs, lemon juice and olive oil surrounded by thinly-sliced potatoes for a tasty and healthy one-pan meal.

Having bought some fresh tarragon from the market the other day, I was curious to see how the herb would pair with our fresh snapper (usually dried Greek oregano is the star of the show). The verdict: the aroma of the fish baking away enveloped in foil, with fresh tarragon tucked in its cavity and lemon slices layered atop its red flesh, was--how should I put it--intoxicating.

Oh, and when my two year old son saw me setting the platter out to snap a couple of shots he began running laps (victory laps perhaps?) around the table emphatically declaring, "Mmmm, good Mama!" Not to mention that he and his sister asked for seconds and my husband, well, he was licking his fingers ... literally.

(I served the fish with some asparagus, which I simply roasted drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper in the oven until tender.)

Synagrida me Estragon sto Fourno --

Baked Red Snapper with Tarragon

1 whole red snapper (about 2.5 lbs.), cleaned

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lemon, halved; one lemon half left in tact and the other sliced thin

4 sprigs fresh tarragon

Couple pinches of dried Greek oregano

1/3 cup olive oil

3 potatoes, scrubbed and peeled then sliced into fairly thin rounds

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with plenty of foil, allowing the foil to overhang the baking sheet so that it may be sealed over the fish later. Pour about two tablespoons of oil in the center and sprinkle with some salt, pepper, 1/4 of the garlic and a bit of the oregano.

Place fish in the center of foil atop the seasoned olive oil. Season the cavity of the fish with 3/4 of the remaining garlic, juice from the lemon half, salt, pepper and a pinch of the oregano then place two of the tarragon sprigs inside and sprinkle with a little olive oil as well.

Drizzle remaining olive oil over the outside of the fish. Season with the remaining garlic, oregano, salt and pepper then top with the lemon slices and the two sprigs of tarragon. Arrange potato slices around the fish and sprinkle the potatoes with salt, pepper and oregano. Spoon some of the olive oil in the baking sheet over the potatoes then fold edges of foil over fish and seal.

Bake for about 30 minutes then open the foil, remove the lemon slices and tarragon from atop the fish and place the baking sheet under the broiler until the potatoes and fish get some slight color, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lemon

U2 is among my favorite bands and I was lucky enough to see them in concert once, be it over 11 years ago, during their 1997 PopMart tour. I was thrilled to get tickets and it was a great show--despite the steady rain, crowds packed Giant’s Stadium.

The concert’s set design was among U2’s most elaborate, complete with a huge LED screen, a 100-foot high golden arch, a 40-foot motorized lemon mirrorball and a 12-foot olive atop a 100-foot cocktail stick. The lemon mirrorball was created as a reference to U2’s “Lemon,” a track from their 1993 Zooropa album. To start the second half of the PopMart concert, the group walked out of their 40-foot citrus fruit to the tune of the “Lemon” Perfecto remix and onto the B-stage for an encore. The show ended with my favorite U2 song (my favorite song period, actually), “One.”

The Eat to the Beat event created by Elly of Elly Says Opa! inspired me to cook up this Asparagus and Dill Avgolemono (Egg Lemon Soup) to the beat of “Lemon.” I’ve always made avgolemono with chicken soup, giouvarlakia or the Greek fricassee, so this was a slight deviation but just as delicious. The flavorful combination of asparagus, leeks and celery finished off with a frothy egg-lemon mixture and the sweet somewhat licorice-like flavor of dill really made for a satisfying and fairly elegant soup.

Asparagus and Dill Avgolemono Soup

Adapted from a recipe found in Gourmet

3 pounds asparagus

4 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium leek, white part coarsely chopped and washed well

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 ribs celery, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups water

3 large eggs

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

Trim off ends of asparagus and using a vegetable peeler remove about 3 to 4 inches of the skin of each stalk, reserving both the ends and peels. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, reserving tips for garnish. In a saucepan combine the asparagus peels and trimmings with the chicken stock, bring to a boil, remove from heat and allow stock to infuse for 15 minutes. Strain stock and reserve.

In a pot of salted boiling water blanch the asparagus tips for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and barely tender. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water. When tips are chilled, drain and reserve.

In a large pot heat the olive oil over moderate heat and cook the leeks, onion and celery, seasoned with salt and pepper, until softened. Add the 1-inch asparagus pieces and stir to combine. Add the infused stock and water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until asparagus is tender. In a blender puree the soup, in batches, until smooth. Return pureed soup to large pot and let cool to lukewarm. In a heatproof bowl whisk together eggs and approximately 1/4 cup lemon juice, adding 1 cup of the lukewarm soup in a stream, while whisking constantly. Whisk the egg mixture into the remaining soup. Cook the soup over moderately low heat without boiling, whisking constantly until thickened slightly. Whisk in minced dill, additional lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Serve soup hot or chilled, garnished with the asparagus tips.