whole red snapper Moroccan style

We're lucky and priveleged to have fresh fish and seafood always available right in our midst, with quite a few fresh fish markets doing very good business especially during the peak tourist season. Red Snappers, groupers, pompanos, etc. are the common catch around here. I always tend to get red snapper when I get a chance, I think it's one of my favorites. Escabeche ( a popular sweet and sour Fiipino / Asian fish dish ) is one dish I like to make with it. For a change though, and in one of my desperate attempts to try something new, I decided to try to do a Moroccan-inspired sauce to pour over the fish. This is the same basic sauce I used for a previously posted Moroccan chicken dish. The whole red snapper was cleaned well and scaled, seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and dredged in flour. Then it was pan-fried until golden brown. A teaspoon each of ground ginger, paprika and cumin were combined together and mixed with some olive oil over low heat for about five minutes. This procedure intensified the flavors of the spices and as they toast with the oil in the pan, became more aromatic. Minced garlic and chopped onions were sauteed right in the same pan until transluscent. Chicken broth was poured in next and the mixture was simmered for a few minutes. Then lemon or orange juice ( I used orange this time ) was added along with a pinch of saffron. Green olives were added last. By this time, all the flavors of the spices have blended with the rest of the ingredients, resulting in a deep orangy color from the saffron and paprika. If the sauce gets too thick at this stage, additional chicken broth may be added. When ready to serve, pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with orange slices and some parsley or basil sprigs.

whole red snapper - one of my favorites