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Photo© Yanni

Grilled Whole Fish?


Grilled whole fish made with a yellowtail--it's a recipe I've been thinking about for awhile. Since I was a boy, I've been eating whole fish grilled on the Bbq. The fish skin crisps up, the salty, crunchy fins become irresistible, and the tasty meat gets permeated with smoky goodness. When it comes to grilled whole fish, what's not to love?

Ever tried grilling whole rockfish? Check out my recipe for

I went fishing with Pete Gray, owner of Let's Talk Hook Up and his fishing buddies, Ron and Tommy P. We caught an assortment of fish. I landed a 7 pound yellowtail on the deck that everyone just stared at it, until I said, “I'm grilling it--whole.”

whole grilled fish

Prepared and ready for the grill...

whole grilled fish recipe

Grilled Whole Fish, Yellowtail (serves 4-6)

1 whole yellowtail 5-8 pounds, gutted, gilled and scaled

Kosher salt

Coarse black pepper

First cold press olive oil, 1-2 cups

Fresh mint, bundle

Fresh oregano, 3 sprigs

Fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs

1 medium orange juiced

2 limes, one juiced, one cut in half (lemon can be substituted)

Paper towels

Vegetable oil

Basting brush

Small mixing bowl

Tooth picks

Grilled Whole Fish

1 whole yellowtail 5-10 pounds, gutted, gilled and scaled

Kosher salt

Coarse black pepper

First cold press olive oil, 1-2 cups

Fresh mint, bundle

Fresh oregano, 3 sprigs

Fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs

1 medium orange juiced

2 limes, one juiced, one cut in half (lemon can be substituted)

Paper towels

Vegetable oil

Basting brush

Small mixing bowl

Tooth picks

Grilled Whole Fish Recipe

1. Start by prepping the yellowtail. Sprinkling a liberal amount of kosher salt inside the gut and head cavity. Using a butter knife, and the salt as an abrasive agent, scrape out the blood line that runs underneath the spinal column. Also clean out any blood patches and small organs still attached in the gut and head cavity. Finally, use paper towels to help you clean up.

Once the gut and head cavity are cleaned and dry, brush both the gut and head interiors with cold press olive oil. Then season them with salt and pepper. Completely pat dry the outside of the fish with paper towels. Finally stuff the gut cavity with all the herbs plus the two lime halves.

2. Use three to four tooth picks to “sew” together the gut cavity This will prevent the herb stuffing from leaking out.

3. Cut 3 slits on each side of the fish (for even cooking). Brush on a liberal amount of olive oil on the entire fish and its fins. Finally, add pepper to the entire fish--no salt!

Then keep refrigerated until you're ready for the grill.

Salt will promote steaming of the skin, making it rubbery, not crispy! Plus, the skin will stick to your grill. Making for a bad presentation!

5. Make the citrus baste by adding the orange and lime juice and olive oil in a 2-to-1 ratio. That is, 2 part citrus to one part olive oil. Start by add orange and lime juice in a small mixing bowl. Add a tablespoon of salt and pepper. Now add the olive oil--slowly--into the mixing bowl while mixing vigorously with a whisk. Set the baste aside.

Grilling...

6. Preheat your grill to its maximum temperature, 500F or greater. When heated, clean the grill throughly with a steel brush. Then, wipe it clean with vegetable oil soaked paper towels.

7. Now, lay the yellowtail on the grill and cook for approximately ten minutes. And before flipping the fish, brush on more olive oil onto its exposed side, then flip the fish. Now, begin brushing on the basting juice intermittently for the next 10 minutes.

8. Don't forget, while basting keep checking for doneness by looking inside the cut slits. This will give you a chance to see inside the thickest part of the fish. When cooked, place the fish in a large platter. And before serving, pour the remaining basting juices on top of the fish. Enjoy.

NEED SOME KITCHEN STUFF? 🙂

Here's a great way to support Fisherman's Belly. Use our amazon links to purchase items you may need. You don't pay extra but, Amazon sends us a small commission on

your purchase. Just click on the links below to take a look and shop around. Thanks, Yanni

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➤ 30 Day Free Amazon Prime Membership

KITCHEN GADGETS & INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE 🌶

➤ 12-inch Chef's Knife

http://amzn.to/2CnQuyw ➤ Wusthof Pro Cook’s Knife 12-inch

http://amzn.to/2CCoOGg ➤ Orange Citrus Juicer/Squeezer

http://amzn.to/2E0vs9N ➤ Morton Kosher Salt 3lbs

http://amzn.to/2AiewJN ➤ Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2L http://amzn.to/2ClQhvN ➤ Ex-Large Bamboo Cutting Board 18"x14" $24.95 http://amzn.to/2EXy1uL ➤ Porcelain Ramekin Pinch Bowls 6-ea https://amzn.to/2IaIE2E ➤ Pyrex 1cup & 2cup measuring cups

http://amzn.to/2AhJf9z ➤ Whisk set 12",10", 8.5"

http://amzn.to/2CCaySf ➤ Amazon Cool Serving Platters

PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT USED 🎥

➤ Canon EOS 70D Food Photography & Video

➤ GoPro HERO4 Black

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Meet The

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I'm a fisherman and a cook, and I love to do both. My name is Yanni and welcome to my website, Fisherman's Belly. Here, using your fresh fish and everyday ingredients, you can learn to cook hand-crafted easy fish recipes. 

See you on the water and in the kitchen. Yanni

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