Grilled Red Snapper stuffed with Lemon & Summer Herbs
Ask your fishmonger to scale the fish and clean out the insides for you, making a clean incision along the belly for stuffing in your herbs. It’s easy to do on your own, but a bit gruesome if you’re not into blood and spikey scales. If you’re up for the adventure, order a fish tool
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 whole red snapper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper
- a handful of summer herbs: basil, oregano, thyme, lemon balm
- 1 lemon, cut into slices
Instructions
- Clean the grill rack, then fire up the grill to medium-high. Let it get hot while you prepare the fish.
- Rinse the fish, outside and inside. Pat dry with paper towel. Lay on a plate. Snip off the fins with sharp scissors (keep the tails – they make for a yummy crunchy bite off the grill).
- Brush both sides of the fish generously with olive oil.
- Sprinkle a generous coating of salt & pepper on both sides of the fish.
- Stuff the herbs and lemon slices into the incision in the belly.
- Lay the fish in the middle of the grill and cover the grill to keep the fish moist. Cook for about 7 minutes. Scoot a spatula carefully under the fish so the skin doesn’t stick to the grill and the fish doesn’t fall apart – flip!
- Cook the other side of the fish, grill closed, for about 7 more minutes.
- Insert a knife into the thickest part of the fish to see if it’s done: the flesh should be white and flaky.
- Remove the fish and transfer to a bed of herbs on a platter. You can filet the fish (watch: how to filet cooked fish) before serving, and don’t forget to pass around the lemon wedges.