Editor’s note: Dan took me and our mutual friend Vadim out fishing for slot rockfish one day late last fall, and the next evening, texted me the picture of his meal. I thought, “Wow! I’ve gotta try that!” I thought plenty of you might want to give it a shot, too.

rockfish baking recipe before cooking
Prepped for baking, this rockfish is already beginning to look tasty. 

There’s nothing better than serving friends and family a whole rockfish that you caught the day before. I’ve always liked cooking whole rockfish as opposed to filets, particularly on slot-sized rockfish where there’s always meat tucked into the jaws and along the bones. This recipe also consistently produces an incredibly flavorful and moist meat, and if you get the temperature right, guests consistently say it tastes like crab… I guess they’re eating the same thing.

A 22” to 24” rockfish will serve four people easily with sides. This recipe uses a bed of vegetables in a pan under the fish, and a flavorful rub for the inside and skin. I prefer this to grilling whole fish, which can dry the fish out.

Prep the fish by gutting and scaling, leaving the head and tail on. Be careful to remove all of the scales and clean the body cavity out as best you can; remember to take the gills out as well. Pat the fish dry and make two angled cuts on each side of the fish, scoring down to the bone.

  1. Prep a bed of vegetables to put under the fish. I like to use onions, peppers, and lemon sliced to about 3/8”. Toss the vegetables with olive oil and a little salt, then spread them in an even layer on the pan. This creates nice steam under the fish, keeps the fish constantly moist, and provides a great sauce for serving with the fish.
  2. Prep a rub—there are lots of options here. I like to use olive oil (about a cup), plenty of garlic, herbs de Provence, parsley, some smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub the mix generously over the entire fish, pushing it into the scores and inside the cavity. I also use fresh thyme, rosemary and sage in the cavity to help create more steam. This rub recipe is Mediterranean, but you can also use an Asian rub (with ginger), a middle eastern rub (try zaatar), or other flavors.
  3. The fish will be cooked under high heat in a broiler, with the rack set so the fish sits about six inches below the heating element. First preheat the oven for a few minutes so it’s hot (450-500 degrees) and then heat up the vegetable bed for seven minutes—the olive oil on the vegetables will be hot enough to sear the bottom of the fish if you have this right. Now put the fish on the bed of vegetables under the broiler. For a 24” rockfish I do 10 minutes on one side, then take the fish out and flip it with two grill forks, and give it another 10 minutes on the other side. For smaller or bigger fish the rule of thumb is five minutes per pound. When it’s ready the skin should be crunchy (and delicious).
  4. My 24” rockfish was 4.5 pounds after the fish was cleaned, but remember, every oven and every fish is different; monitor temperature using a good meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, get a Thermapen ONE instant read thermometer on Amazon ($69.00). Your target is 137 degrees in the deepest part of the fish, and be careful not to overcook it!
baked rockfish recipe
Dan's rockin' rockfish recipe will have you baking rockfish all season long.

Make sure your guests are ready to eat before you start cooking, so everyone sits down right as it comes out of the oven. Serve with the vegetables from the pan, and the juices as well. I also like to roast carrots separately and serve with baked potato or rice.

anglers with rockfish they caught
Vadim and Dan with the catch of the day.

That’s it! Enjoy and let us know how yours turns out.

-By Dan Mendelson