Grilled Whole Red Snapper with Orange, Lime, and Cilantro Vinaigrette

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS? Snapper is one of the most popular fish in Mexican cooking, and it’s often grilled whole. The grill gives the mild fish plenty of smoky depth, and keeping the fish whole leaves the fish juicier than fillets would be: The skin protects the fish and seals in flavor while the bones keep the fish moist. We made shallow diagonal slashes on the skin on both sides to ensure even cooking and seasoning. Slashing also had the added benefit of enabling us to gauge the doneness more easily. After cooking, the fish needed only a few cuts to allow us to neatly lift the meat away from the bones. As a final touch, we created a citrusy vinaigrette, which lent a light acidic counterpoint to the smoky grilled fish. When buying whole fish, look for fish with moist, taut skin, clear eyes, and bright red gills. You can substitute bass, trout, mackerel, or bluefish for the snapper. If your fish are a little larger (between 1½ and 2 pounds), simply grill them a minute or two longer on each side. Fish weighing more than 2 pounds will be hard to maneuver on the grill and should be avoided.

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 (1½-pound) whole red snapper, scaled and gutted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk orange juice, lime juice, sugar, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl, then whisk in 6 tablespoons oil. Whisk in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Pat the snapper dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make shallow diagonal slashes 1 inch apart through the skin on both sides of the fish, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Rub the fish with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, then season thoroughly (including the cavities) with salt and pepper.
3. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open the bottom vent completely. Light a large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When the top coals are partially covered with ash, pour them evenly over the grill. Set the cooking grate in place, cover, and open the lid vent completely. Heat the grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
4. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
5. Clean the cooking grate, then repeatedly brush the grate with well-oiled paper towels until black and glossy, 5 to 10 times. Place the fish on the grill. Cook (covered if using a gas grill) until both sides are browned and crisp and the flesh is no longer translucent in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, gently flipping the fish over using 2 spatulas halfway through grilling. Transfer the fish to a carving board.
6. Working with one fish at a time, gently cut through the skin and flesh down the back of the fish, from head to tail, without cutting through the bones. Gently cut through the skin and flesh just behind the head, from top to bottom, without cutting through the bones. Starting at the head and working toward the tail, gently run a metal spatula between the bones and flesh to separate, then gently lift the entire fillet from the skeleton in a single piece. Repeat on the second side of the fish. Drizzle the fish with the vinaigrette and serve with lime wedges.