Seafood
Grilled Whole Fish (Summer Dinner Party)
A whole grilled fish is summer dinner party theater. It is also one of the easier big-deal dishes to execute, the skin and bones do the work that technique would otherwise have to, and the cook is just 20 minutes. The salsa verde is non-negotiable. Plain grilled fish is fine; grilled fish with salsa verde is a dish that restaurants charge $45 for. A medium-sized electric grill like the Weber Lumin Standard comfortably handles a 3-lb whole fish and is easier to control than a gas grill for the delicate skin.
Ingredients
- 1 whole red snapper or 2 branzino (2-3 lbs total), scaled and gutted
- 2 lemons, sliced
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 6 sprigs parsley
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- For the salsa verde:
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 anchovies
- 1 tbsp Dijon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- 01
Score each fish 3 times on each side. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices, thyme, parsley, and garlic. Rub the skin with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 02
Make the salsa verde: pulse parsley, capers, anchovies, Dijon, and garlic in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice.
- 03
Preheat the grill to 425F and oil the grates thoroughly.
- 04
Lay the fish on the grill and do not move for 8-10 minutes.
- 05
Flip with two spatulas. Cook another 8-10 minutes until the flesh at the spine flakes easily.
- 06
Carry to the table whole on a platter with the salsa verde alongside. Fillet tableside for presentation.
Pro Tips
From our kitchen
- ★Whole fish on the grill is a wow moment. Filleting it at the table gets guests invested in the meal.
- ★Oil the grates just before the fish goes on, with a folded paper towel and tongs. Dry grates are the number one cause of skin sticking.
- ★Ask your fishmonger to scale and gut the fish. It is their job and saves you 20 minutes of messy prep.
We recommend for this recipe
Weber Lumin Standard Electric Grill
The Weber Lumin Standard Electric Grill's 242 sq in surface and 600°f searing temperatures and larger cooking surface than compact make it our pick for this recipe.
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