Guest Author - Amy McDaniel

This dish is inspired by a roasted sunfish created by my friend Michael Schardan. He stuffs the fish with whole garlic cloves, fat wads of rosemary sprigs, and paper-thin lemon slices. The flesh of the fish soaks up the taste and aroma of the flavoring, the exterior becomes flaky and crisp, and the presentation is very impressive for such a simple preparation.

I've adapted his recipe to include zesty Mexican flavors. You don't need sunfish, either. Just pick whatever kind of whole fish looks good at the market.

Here's the procedure, per fish. Multiply as you need to. Budget about three-quarters of a pound of fish for each person.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Pick a whole, cleaned, scaled, gutted fish, such as:

Sunfish
Trout
Sea bass
Snapper
Sea Bream
Porgy
Black bass
Salmon

3. Rub it all over with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Add the flavorings:

3 or 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
3 or 4 thin slices of lime
1/4 cup cilantro
1 thinly sliced fresh green peppers such as jalapenos or serranos

5. Stuff it all into the cavity of the fish.

6. Throw in a roasting pan. If you do not have one that is large enough, use a rimmed baking sheet.

7. Roast 15 minutes for 1-lb fish; add 5-10 minutes per additional pound. The fish is ready when the skin is crisp and the flesh is firm to the touch. Serve. Enjoy. (Don't eat the flavorings!)

Menu planning

This may be the perfect entree for your next dinner party, especially if you are looking for something simple but striking. Two, three, or even four people can share a single fish, depending on the size. To make quite an impressive dining table display, set each fish whole on large platters. Decorate the platters with thin rounds of lime and sprigs of cilantro, and position on the table almost like centerpieces for the people sharing them.

Tropical fruit makes a lovely accompaniment to the fish. Cut up mangoes, pineapple, or papayas, or use all three to make a fruit salsa with the addition of lime and whisper-thin slices of fresh hot chilies. If you prefer, a tomato-based salsa would work nicely instead, especially if you plan to serve rice alongside the fish. Or pair the fish with a warm black bean and corn salad.

Be sure to make room on the table for plates or bowls where your guests can put their discarded bones.