Whole Fish Grilled The Greek Way Recipes

GRILLED WHOLE FISH, GREEK-STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high.
• Rinse the fish well under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish all over inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brush each fish generously with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and place directly on the grill. Cook, turning occasionally and coating with more olive oil if necessary, until flesh flakes easily and fish is cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Place fish on a platter. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine remaining olive oil with the lemon juice, parsley, and oregano. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve fish drizzled with the olive oil-lemon mixture.

WHOLE FISH GRILLED THE GREEK WAY

Steps:

• Lay the fish on a clean cutting board. Pat dry all over with paper towels and inside the cavity. With a sharp knife, make 2 to 3 deep incisions along the body on each side.
• Season the fish with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, rubbing it evenly all over the fish, into the incisions and cavity as well. Do the same with 1 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
• Chop 1 clove of garlic and rub it all over the fish, making sure to get the inside of the incisions and the cavity for flavor.
• Slice one of the lemons thinly and cut into half-moons. Slice another garlic clove. Layer the lemon and garlic slices inside the cavity of the fish. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Tie the fish closed with kitchen twine. (You may need to tie it in two places to keep it securely closed.) Coat the fish with olive oil and massage it on both sides. Set aside.
• Chop the remaining garlic cloves, parsley, scallions, mint and dill and put in a small bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of dried oregano and 1 tablespoon of small capers. Slowly pour olive oil into the bowl, stirring until it has the consistency of a loose sauce. Grate the zest of the remaining lemon into the sauce and add the juice of half the lemon. Stir and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
• Place the prepped fish directly on top of the hot grill. Be careful as small flames might flap up! Do not move the fish. Let it cook for about 6 to 8 minutes before carefully flipping it over with a pair of long-handled tongs and large fish spatula. Let it cook for an additional 6 to 8 minutes on the other side. You can check the doneness of the fish by checking inside of the incisions; if the flesh has turned an opaque white then it's ready. If not, you can lower the heat and close the lid for a minute or two and check again.
• Carefully lift the fish up and place on a serving platter. At this point, you can choose to remove the charred skin and spoon the herbed dressing over the fish or let everyone serve themselves.

GREEK GRILLED FISH

Steps:

• Rinse and pat dry.
• Lightly salt both sides, set in a colander over a bowl refrigerate until ready to grill.
• Fire up the grill - brush grill with olive oil to prevent sticking (a hand held grid makes turning easier).
• If you wish to lay aluminium foil on the grill poke several holes through foil or make the base with the dried thyme, rosemary branches and bay leaves directly on grill, be sure to overlap so they cover a slightly bigger area then the fish.
• In a small bowl combine the lemon juice and olive oil, brush fish with the mixture, sprinkle lightly with the coarse thyme or oregano - baste frequently with the lemon/olive oil mixture.
• Cover the fish loosely with aluminium foil to keep moist.
• Cook about 20 minutes or until fish flakes readily when prodded with a fork in the thickest part.