Recipe · 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
Tips for this cook
- ★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.
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