Whole Fish Wrapped in Grape Leaves
Instructions:
- Jarred grape leaves protect a whole fi sh from the heat; they also lend the meat a slightly herbaceous fl avor. Makes 4 servings
- One 8-ounce jar grape leaves, drained and rinsed
- 1 small lemon, sliced into paper-thin rings, preferably with a mandoline
- One 2 1 ⁄ 2- to 3-pound snapper of any variety: black, striped, or spotted bass; whole large-mouth bass or freshwater bass; any variety of whole drum; or whole parrotfi sh, orange roughy, ocean perch, tilapia, or sea trout, scaled and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for the grill grate
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 parsley sprigs
- Butcher’s twine
- Lay three quarters of the grape leaves on your work surface, overlapping them to form a compact bed that you will later fold up onto the fi sh; reserve the other leaves to lay over the fi sh. Lay 4 lemon slices down the center of the leaves.
- Score the fi sh’s skin three times in parallel, diagonal cuts on each side of the body, cutting down only about 1⁄2 inch, not through to the bones. Oil the fi sh on both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil; salt and pepper each side. Place the parsley sprigs and another 3 or 4 lemon slices inside the fish’s body cavity. Set the stuffed fi sh over the lemon slices on the grape leaves.
- Arrange the remaining lemon slices over the top of the fish, then lay the reserved grape leaves over the body. Fold the bottom leaves up to cover the sides of the fish, tucking them under the top leaves to seal the fi sh in a grape-leaf packet. Pat to adhere, then tie in several places with butcher’s twine to close the fish and the leaves in one packet.
- To oven-roast:
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F. Place a metal rack in a large baking sheet or roasting pan. Set the wrapped fish on the rack. gRoast until the leaves are crispy and a metal skewer inserted through the leaves and into the fl esh comes out hot, about 25 minutes. Untie the fi sh; discard the grape leaves and lemon slices before serving.
- To grill:
- Preheat the gas grill for medium-heat cooking or build a medium-heat, well-ashed, wide coal bed in the center of a charcoal grill.
- Generously oil the grill grate and set it 4 to 6 inches over the heat source or coal bed. Place the wrapped fi sh directly over medium heat.
- Cover and grill until the leaves are crispy, until a metal skewer inserted through the leaves and into the fl esh comes out pretty warm, 20 to 25 minutes. Untie the fish; discard the grape leaves and lemon slices before serving.