Grilled Greek Fish Food

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.

GRILLED WHOLE BRANZINO

Steps:

• For the Salmoriglio sauce: Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl. Add garlic, capers, herbs and lemon zest. The sauce should be loose in consistency with high-acid flavor. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• For the fish: Preheat the grill for cooking over high heat (around 450 to 500 degrees F).
• Bring fish to room temperature, 30 minutes, then wrap fish briefly in paper towels to dry out skin, which will help keep the fish from sticking to the grill.
• Stuff the inside cavity of the fish with herbs, garlic and lemon slices, and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Brush the outside of the fish with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush a fish grill basket with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place fish in fish grill basket and secure shut. (If you don't have a fish grill basket, place the fish between 2 wire cooling racks and secure the racks together with wire.)
• Place basket on the hottest part of the grill. Cook until the eye turns white and skin is charred, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes.
• Place fish on a platter and dress with the Salmoriglio sauce.

GREEK GRILLED SALMON WITH VEGGIES

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Put the zucchini, bell peppers and asparagus in a large bowl and toss with a scant 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and scant 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette, making sure everything is nice and coated. Transfer the coated veggies to the grill. Add the onions directly to the grill and give them a good brush with the vinaigrette and olive oil mixture. Grill, turning the veggies every 2 minutes, until tender and well-marked, about 8 minutes. Remove to a serving platter.
• Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette for serving, then brush the salmon on each side with 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining vinaigrette; drizzle on both sides with the remaining olive oil. Grill the salmon for 2 minutes, then rotate 45 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes. After 4 minutes total, flip the salmon and grill on the other side for 2 minutes, then rotate and cook for 2 minutes more. Brush with some of the remaining vinaigrette while cooking if needed.
• Transfer the salmon to the serving platter with the vegetables. Drizzle everything with the reserved vinaigrette. Sprinkle over the feta, olives, and parsley. Serve immediately.

GRILLED GREEK FISH

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, combine the first seven ingredients. Add the tilapia, turn to coat; cover. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain and discard marinade., Place tilapia on greased grill rack. Cook, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

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.

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.

GREEK FISH

Steps:

• Combine lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl.
• Place fish in 10-inch skillet and pour oil mixture over fish.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 5-10 minutes or until fish flakes when pierced with a fork Meanwhile, line a plate with spinach leaves.
• Place fish on spinach and pour liquid over the fish.
• Garnish with olives and lemon wedges.