Grilled Whole Fish With Four Pepper Ginger Sauce Recipes

GRILLED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Preheat grill for direct-heat grilling over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, drizzle cavity of each fish with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Aromatics help keep whole fish moist while grilling. Stuff 1 fish cavity with lemon slices and dill and the other with lime slices, basil, and Thai chiles. If using just 1 filling, double amounts called for.
• Fasten each opening with a wooden skewer or toothpicks that have been soaked in water so they don't burn. This keeps the aromatics inside and also makes fish easier to handle on the grill.
• Using a paring knife, make long, 1/4-inch-deep diagonal slashes at 2-inch intervals on both sides of fish so they cook evenly throughout. This also allows any seasonings on skin (see step 5) to penetrate.
• Rub both sides of each fish with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper, working all into slashes as well as heads and tails -- both are edible, and the tail becomes delightfully crisp when grilled.
• Brush hot grill with vegetable oil; immediately place fish on grill. Cook, undisturbed and uncovered, until undersides are charred and flesh along gills on undersides turns opaque, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Turn fish with 2 large spatulas. If they stick, wait a few seconds until skin sears enough to release cleanly. Grill on other side until charred and fish are just cooked through and opaque, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Serve fish with lemon and lime wedges and more herbs. To serve, cut fillet free from top side of fish and remove with a spatula. Remove bones to free other fillet.

WHOLE FRIED FISH WITH GRILLED LIME, CILANTRO AND GINGER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the limes cut-side down and cook until deeply charred, 5 to 8 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, grated ginger, soy sauce and fish sauce. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
• Add the frying oil to a cast-iron skillet large enough so the oil comes no more than halfway up the skillet sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno and 2-inch piece ginger to the oil.
• Place the fish on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Make slashes crosswise on a diagonal along the body of the fish every 2 inches on both sides, cutting all the way down to the bone. Season the fish generously inside and out with salt. Mix together the rice flour, coriander, lime zest and 1 tablespoon salt in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the seasoned rice flour.
• When the oil is 350 degrees F, grip a fish firmly by the tail and carefully lower head-first into the skillet, making sure to lay it down away from you. Repeat with the other fish. Fry until the flesh on the bottom side is cooked through and the skin is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. While the fish are frying, baste the inside of the heads with hot oil periodically.
• Use tongs and a fish spatula to carefully turn both fish over. Fry until the flesh on the second side is cooked through and the skin is deeply browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and season both sides with more salt.
• To serve: Place both fish on a platter. Spoon the ginger vinaigrette over the top and around the fish. Garnish with cilantro and scallions and place the grilled limes around the edges.