Grilled Whole Fish In Chile Garlic And Mint Sauce Recipes

GRILLED WHOLE FISH IN CHILE, GARLIC AND MINT SAUCE (A KREMEZI)

Steps:

• Mix together the first 5 ingredients (chiles through olive oil).
• Season with a little salt, mix, then taste (the sauce should taste hot) and re-season as needed.
• Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours for the flavors to marry. (Note: prep time below only includes 30 minutes for this step).
• Light a charcoal grill or preheat a broiler.
• Salt the fish inside and out and place on an oiled grill about 5 inches from the heat source. Broil or grill, turning once, until done, about 15 minutes (I use the 10 minutes per inch of maximal thickness rule).
• Remove from the heat, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for about 5 minutes.
• Mix the sauce with the chopped tomato.
• You may serve the fish in one of two ways.
• Present the fish whole, with the sauce on the side. OR
• Cut the fish and place the two fillets, skin side down, on a heat-proof platter. Pour half the sauce over the fillets, sprinkle with black pepper and place under a very hot broiler for 15-20 seconds (just enough to warm the sauce). Sprinkle with parsley.
• Serve the fish (whether whole or as fillets) and pass the sauce (if the fish is left whole) or the remaining sauce (if the fillets are being served) separately.

GRILLED WHOLE FISH IN CHILE, GARLIC AND MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix chiles, garlic, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. Add a little salt; mix thoroughly; then taste and adjust the seasonings. The sauce should be hot. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
• Light a charcoal grill or preheat a broiler. Salt the fish inside and out and place on a well-oiled grill about 5 inches from the heat. Broil or grill, turning once, until firm and almost done, about 15 minutes total. Remove from heat and cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Mix sauce with the chopped tomato. Serve the fish with the sauce on the side, or cut the fish open, remove the central bone, and transfer the fillets to a heat-proof platter. Pour half the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with some pepper, and place under a very hot broiler for a few seconds before serving, sprinkled with the parsley. Pass the rest of the sauce separately.0.

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.

GRILLED WHOLE FISH WITH LEMONGRASS, CHILES AND COCONUT

Steps:

• Season cavities and outside of fish with salt and pepper. Rub skin all over with coconut oil.
• Thinly slice 1 lime and 1 shallot. Cut another lime into wedges and save for garnish. Fill each fish cavity with lime and shallot slices, a handful of cilantro stems (discard the rest) and the lemongrass.
• Prepare the sauce: Coarsely chop the remaining shallot and juice the remaining lime. In a mini food processor, combine shallot, 1 tablespoon lime juice, the cilantro leaves, the mint, the chile, the garlic, the fish sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse until herbs are chopped, then add coconut milk and oil. Continue to pulse until a coarse, chunky sauce forms. (Don't overdo it; you want a relish-like texture, not a purée.) Taste and add more salt, fish sauce and/or lime juice if necessary. (Alternatively, chop everything really finely by hand and stir in the coconut milk and lime juice.) Sauce can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate until needed.
• Light or heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in basket and grill until blistered and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (Poke the fish along the spine; it should be tender but still juicy.) Serve, garnished with lime wedges and mint leaves, with sauce on the side.