Weekend Cooking Project : Grilled Whole Fish

Tod Kelly

Tod is a writer from the Pacific Northwest. He is also serves as Executive Producer and host of both the 7 Deadly Sins Show at Portland's historic Mission Theatre and 7DS: Pants On Fire! at the White Eagle Hotel & Saloon. He is  a regular inactive for Marie Claire International and the Daily Beast, and is currently writing a book on the sudden rise of exorcisms in the United States. Follow him on Twitter.

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24 Responses

  1. Damon says:

    Interesting I just grilled up some Wild Salmon yesterday.  Paired it with some sautéed Swiss chard and wild rice (cooked in chicken stock with herbs).  It rocked.  It was not whole, sadly, but still.  Grilled asparagus too? That’s fantastic grilled as well.  Not a lot of folk seem to be aware of that.  Kudos.  Might have to try that sauce!Report

  2. Plinko says:

    Consider this a vote for more food posts like this!

    Save me the cheek, OK?Report

  3. Kyle Cupp says:

    Liked your literary allusion, sir.Report

  4. Michelle says:

    Sounds yummy.

    Last weekend, we bought and cooked a whole trout complete with head at the Philly Italian market (albeit at an Asian seafood store) as well as a whole bunch of whole smelt that my husband pan-fried. Usually, my husband will use the head and tail to make fish stock.

    And yes, if you’re going to buy a whole fish, heed Tod’s warning and make sure it’s been scaled. We’ve made that mistake before and paid the price.Report

  5. Damon says:

    Moving off the concept of whole fish for a moment…..

    Last week it was grilled lamb chops with garlic, thyme, and oregano, with sides of grilled asparagus and sweet potatoes–paired it with a nice Zin.

    Note the consistency of the asparagus inclusion 🙂Report

  6. Rose Woodhouse says:

    Sounds great! Will try. Mmmmmm, fish sauce, I love you.

    I always worry with whole fish that it’s not actually cheaper because I’m paying for bones, and then I’ve given myself extra work and not saved anything. But I’ve never checked on this to be sure.Report

    • Part of the beauty of buying a whole fish is that there’s no need to bone, you cop the whole thing.  And fish this big have large, from bones that once cooked separate from the flesh very easily, so it’s pretty rare for a bone to get to your plate from the serving platter.Report

  7. Mary says:

    Most of this does not make sense to me. For example, “1.Wash the fish, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Take a knife and make three diagonal slashes into the thickest parts of the fish on both sides.” I’m sure this is easy for most people, but I’m totally clueless. Sounds yummy though! Grilled asparagus is my absolute favorite.

    Man, I need to learn to cook.Report

  8. Kazzy says:

    Are all these fish boneless? If not, do the bones pose much of a problem.Report

    • James Hanley in reply to Kazzy says:

      Depends on the fish. In some the bones are relatively easy to discern and pick out.  In some it’s damn near impossible, so you really want to cut steaks from them and not deal with the whole fish.Report

  9. Chaz Mathis says:

    Very neat post.Really looking forward to read more. Want more.Report