The Whole Fish

As spring finally makes its presence known in New England, grilling is on my mind. Warm weather also makes me think of the sea and a summer of fishing and eating great seafood. Red snapper is found in plentiful numbers in the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic coast of America. Grilled asparagus would be a terrific accompaniment to this snapper.


Grilled Whole Red Snapper
serves 4 (from Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food)


1 whole 3-lb red snapper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 lemons, sliced
several handfuls of fresh herbs (fennel fronds, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley)
extra virgin olive oil
serve with: lemon wedges and evoo


Scale, gut, and trim the tail and fins -- either have your fishmonger do it or try it yourself. Season the red snapper thoroughly with salt and pepper (inside and out). Stuff the inside cavity of the snapper with lemon slices and fresh herbs, then place a few additional herbs on outside of the snapper. Rub the fish with olive oil and let sit for about an hour. Prepare the grill. When preheated (to only medium heat for slower cooking a thicker fish), oil the grill with an oiled towel and place the fish on the grill. Cook until done, turning the fish as often as needed to keep the skin from burning (about 10 minutes of cooking per inch of snapper's thickness at thickest part). The fish is done when the flesh separates easily from the bones but is still moist. Test by inserting a skewer; it should meet little resistance. Remove from the grill and serve whole snapper at the table. Serve with lemon wedges and olive oil. Watch out for bones.