5 Whole Fish You Can Serve To Impress Your Friends

The idea of cooking a whole fish can be kind of daunting — the size, the smell, the guts, the eyes! How can you eat something that stares right back at you? And yet, people do it all the time, since purchasing an entire fish can be more budget-friendly than one that's already been processed. Not to mention, if you or someone you know likes to fish, you may be able to obtain such a fish for free. (This isn't counting the cost of the license and equipment, since these all get written off under the heading of "hobby.")

Yet another reason to opt for cooking a whole fish over one that's been neatly sliced into unrecognizable fillets is that its appearance is undeniably impressive (in case you do a lot of entertaining or enjoy photographing your food for social media). Even more motivating, however, may be the fact that eating the fish nose to tail, as it were, demonstrates your commitment to reducing food waste. Finally, there's the fact that some of the lesser-known fish parts such as the cheeks and collar are among the tastiest cuts. In fact, adventurous foodies even swear that the eyes are darn good eating. (If you're not brave enough to test this out, any neighborhood cats would be more than pleased to take them off your hands.)

Nutritionists (and Skittles ads) are always telling us to eat the rainbow, but we'd also advise baking the rainbow ... trout, that is. Ideally with its head still on the body, since nothing says "I caught this trophy fish" like serving it up looking similar to it did when you pulled it out of the water. Trout is particularly well-suited to cooking whole because it is round rather than flat, something that applies to the other fish on this list as well. Rounder fish simply present better than their more two-dimensional brethren, like tilapia and sole.

Before you bake a whole rainbow trout, it will need to be cleaned and gutted, but if you buy one from the store it should already come this way. Once it's oven-ready, plop it in a greased pan, drizzle it with oil, and season it with salt, pepper, and any herbs you fancy. It should take about 20 minutes in a hot (400 degrees Fahrenheit) oven, although you may need to add a little liquid to the pan halfway through to make sure it doesn't stick. After all, it would be a shame if your whole fish got ripped apart before you were able to serve it.

Salmon may just be nature's perfect fish, and as such, it can be showcased by even the simplest of preparations. While there are numerous ways to serve salmon, you can't get much more basic than cooking a whole fish. If you're really feeling experimental, you could always wrap the entire fish in foil and run it through your dishwasher. We've actually had some success with this cooking method since the resulting fish is flaky and tender and tastes pretty terrific, but the one downside to this mad method is that the flesh falls apart easily so it won't make for such an Instagram-worthy presentation. (It would, however, make a great TikTok.)

If appearances count, you're better off baking your whole salmon in the oven. Again, it'll need to be cleaned and gutted, plus you should also scale it by running a butter knife in the opposite direction to how the scales lie. Again, apply oil and seasonings and stuff a few lemon slices in the fish if you'd like (lemon is traditional for fish, after all). A two-and-a-half to three-pound salmon will need about 20 to 30 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and you might want to wrap the head and tail in foil, if these bits start to brown before the rest of the fish is done.

If Memorial Day is approaching and your thoughts are turning to outdoor cooking, this might be the time to try grilling a whole fish. Don't be intimidated, we tried it and it worked out pretty well. Our fish of choice was the branzino, not so much because it's trendy, but because it's less spendy than other fish. Branzino is also typically served whole due to the fact that it's small, firm, and doesn't have too many bones. Cooking it with these bones intact allows for better flavor than you'd get with a filleted fish.

Before you light the grill, begin by marinating the branzino in your choice of salt + fat + acid (you can't go wrong with olive oil and lemon juice for the latter two) along with some herbs and spices. Allow about 45 minutes for the fish to soak and the grill to get properly hot, then squirt both fish and grill grates with cooking spray. You'll need to grill the fish for about 10 minutes per inch. (Measure it at the thickest part, which should be behind the head.) Cover the grill and cook the fish for exactly half the time necessary, then flip the fish over and finish cooking it uncovered.

One reason for cooking an entire fish that we've yet to discuss is that it might bring you good luck, especially if it's eaten on Lunar New Year. A whole fish is said to symbolize prosperity, the reason being that a Chinese word for fish is pronounced similarly to a word that means "being abundant." While any fish will do, striped bass is a popular choice. Not only is it firm enough to stand up to steaming (a typical Chinese cooking method for whole fish) but it is sufficiently mild to allow the flavors of the sauce to shine.

One simple yet delicious way to prepare striped bass for a New Year feast is to slip some thin slices of fresh ginger into slits cut into the cleaned fish, then sprinkle it with rice vinegar and steam it in a bowl or plate set over boiling water. (This should take maybe 10 to 12 minutes.) The steamed fish can be garnished with more chopped ginger, cilantro, green onions, or sliced chiles and served with a sauce made by boiling soy sauce with rice wine, sugar, and water. 

Smelts might not be the best fish to serve if your sole motivation is to impress guests, but they'll be right up your alley if you're looking for something ridiculously easy, cheap, and tasty. Smelts are small enough that they're usually sold whole, although frozen smelts may be headed as well as gutted. Even if you do get hold of fresh smelts with their guts still intact, you don't need to remove them before cooking. This is because smelts are usually caught while they're spawning and typically have nothing in their stomachs at this time.

The best way to cook smelts is to pan-fry them. Simply dip them in seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and cook them in about ¼ inch of oil for around two to three minutes per side. Squeeze a few lemon wedges over them when they're done, then scarf them down like fishy popcorn. As smelts are tiny, you'll be frying up a bunch at a time. A pound of smelts might serve up to four people as an appetizer, but two people could probably polish off the whole batch if it's served as an entree.