Cooking a whole fish to feed your family or the whole darn village is unbelievable easy and quick.
There are many reasons to cook a whole fish. First is the taste. The skin and bones keep the flesh moist and flavorful; the skin itself, when cooked well, is delicious; whole fish stands up better to grilling heat than a fillet or fish steak will; whole fish usually costs less by weight than the portioned stuff; it’s fresh and makes for an impressive presentation; And so on.
I find most people who haven’t tried it are simply afraid of screwing it up. Do not live in fear in your kitchen. Just go for it. What’s the worst that can happen? You really cant mess this up. It’s also quick and easy. Stuff it, bake it and eat it. Yes, there are bones. Most fish, once cooked, are easy to debone. The flesh flakes off the bone pretty easily. When my kids were young I was careful to dish up their portions making sure no bones were left behind. This step is a small price to pay for the fresh flavor you will enjoy.
So let’s cook some whole fish on the grill! It’s the best thing to do on a bright, warm day in the summer. Invite friends and family and make an event out of it.
The preparation photographed is walleye because all the whole fish grillers beat me to the fish counter and bought up all the red snapper, which was my first choice. No worries. The walley was delicious. Any firm white fish will do nicely.
A roasted whole fish recipe that takes very little preparation, but will taste like you put hours of effort into the flavor.
Roasted Whole Fish
Ingredients:
- 1 walleye, red snapper, or your choice of firm white fish.
whole, approx. 2-3 lbs - 2 lemons, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 5-6 sprigs fresh oregano
- 5-6 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 bunch of fresh dill
- Olive oil or (garlic butter* optional)
- Salt & pepper
*Heinen’s sells some delicious compound butters in the dairy section. The garlic and herb butter works wonderfully with this recipe. Just slice a few pieces and tuck into the cavity of the fish.
I also grilled a few extra slices of lemon with the fish. Grilling the lemon caramelizes the sugars in the lemon making it sweet and tart. Use these to squeeze over the finished fish. Yum!
Method:
On the grill:
- Rinse the fish, inside and out. Pat the outside and inside dry with paper towels. Drizzle olive oil all over the exterior and inside the fish. Season with salt and pepper, inside and out.
- Stuff the snapper with fresh herbs and garlic. Then stuff the fish with orange and lemon slices. Place any slices you can’t fit inside the fish both underneath and on top of the fish.
- Brush the grate with oil.
- To ensure even cooking, score the thick areas of the flesh as pictured below.
- Grill the fish over moderately high heat, approximately 400 degrees uncovered, until lightly charred and it releases easily from the grate, 10 minutes.
- Turn and grill until the flesh is white throughout, 10 minutes longer.
- Transfer the fish to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes. Drizzle with oil and serve.
For oven method:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse the fish, inside and out. Pat the outside and inside dry with paper towels. Drizzle olive oil all over the exterior and inside the fish. Season with salt and pepper, inside and out.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
- Lay the fish on the lined baking sheet. Stuff the fish with fresh herbs and garlic. Then stuff the fish with orange and lemon slices.
- Place any slices you can’t fit inside the fish both underneath and on top of the fish.
- Roast for approximately 30 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the flesh is flaky. Serve immediately.
About the Author
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. Her Blog, Table and Dish is a website devoted to celebrating and curating the many ways that food binds us. Sally hopes that her recipes and images will inspire you to gather your friends and family in the kitchen to make memories, use the time to connect with busy kids, chat over mixing bowls, get messy, laugh, sing, set the table, clear the table, pass the salt, debate the days topics and pray. You can follow her here as a weekly contributor to 365Barrington and Heinen’s as well as via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
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Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meatheads) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
