Pesce alla Griglia
Region: Italy
Category: Seafood-Grilled
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Medium Difficulty
There are only two things to keep in mind for perfect grilled fish: the fish must be very, very fresh, and you must attend the fish at all times. 
This recipe will instruct you on how to grill a whole fish. And a rather large fish at that– over 3 pounds. A fish griller is a useful tool to have for this purpose because of the difficulty of turning a large fish. Buy the largest one they sell. I’m not going to recommend particular fish because fish stores so rarely sell whole fish, so you’ll end up buying whatever the largest fish is they have anyway. The way to figure out what the fish will yield in numbers of servings is to realize that half the weight of a whole fish is not edible (head, tails, viscera, bones), so a 4 pound whole fish will serve six people.
[photo: Dennis M. Gottlieb, in Clifford A. Wright, Grill Italian]
Yield: Makes 2 to 6 servings depending on the size of the fish
Preparation Time: 20 to 75 minutes
One 2 1/2- to 6-pound whole fish, scaled, gutted, and cleaned, with head and tail on
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on high for 15 minutes.
2. Wash the fish under running water, then pat dry inside and out with paper towels.
3. In a bowl, prepare a marinade or basting liquid by mixing together, the olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Rub the marinade on the inside and outside of the fish. The outside of the fish should be well coated so that it will not stick to the grill. If you want you can score 1/2-inch deep gashes along the body and push some of the garlic and oregano into the incisions.
4. Do not start grilling until the grill is very hot and all the coals are white (if using charcoal). Place the whole fish in the fish griller then place on the grill. You should measure the fish at its thickest part and cook for 10 minutes per inch. A 6-pound fish can easily take up to an hour to cook. Turn only once and then serve. You can also check doneness by pulling on one of the dorsal fins; if it nearly comes off with a little tug, the fish is done.
Variation: A more complex version would involve marinating the fish in olive oil, parsley, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup lemon juice for 2 hours. More additions can be made, combining one or more of the following: crumbled bay leaves, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, oregano, and rosemary.
Note:
Posted: 12/30/2006