Long after I could bait my own hook and catch my own fish, I still hadn't tried cooking one whole. Fillets seemed much neater and easier to cook, and why bother with fish heads unnecessarily?
The reason, I discovered, is flavor. It's the difference between cooking a whole roast chicken and a cutlet: The former is much more tender, juicy, and delicious. Fish is no different. Plus, the prep work, cooking, and even clean-up is so effortless, it's worth taking the time to find a fishmonger who can net you a whole fish (some supermarkets may carry them in season). Most will clean it for you too. I recommend having it scaled, gutted, and removing the fins, tail and head unless you're one of those rare brave souls who will eat fish cheeks.
For my first whole-fish endeavor I opted for branzino, or Mediterranean sea bass (the French call it Loup de Mer or wolf of the sea). It's the right size—one per person is sufficient—and the flavor, like most bass, is mild. To showcase the true flavor of the fish and not overwhelm it, I kept things simple—just a little salt and pepper, inside and out, to season the fillets, then lemon slices and fresh thyme inside each. (I secured them with toothpicks.) This technique would also work well for red snapper, trout, or black bass (branzino is a white bass).
The procedure is simple: Grill on medium high for seven minutes per side, and you're done. It really couldn't be easier. The fish with flake apart when done, so you can just dig in. There aren't really any besides the spine and the skin was crispy and blackened which made me actually want to try it—although that's a personal preference. Serve it with a nice chilled white, crusty bread, and salad. Even fish haters will have a hard time resisting.
Whole grilled branzino with lemon and thyme
What you'll need:
2 whole cleaned branzino
1 to 2 lemons, sliced
4 bunches fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grate oiling*
How to make it:
1. Preheat a gas to medium high or a charcoal grill until the coals are white and hot.
2. Clean the fish and pat them dry. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff each with lemon slices and thyme and secure with toothpicks. Coat outside of fillets with about 1 tablespoon of oil.
3. Grill the fillets until the fish is opaque and flaky and the skin crisps and blackens slightly, about 7 minutes. Flip and grill for another 7 minutes.
*Guy Gourmet Tip: Possibly the most important step, if you're grilling and not roasting, is to oil the grates extremely well. I wiped down both grill and fish with a paper towel soaked in olive oil and still had some sticking, but that smoky flavor infusion beats using foil any day.
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