Grilled fish is intimidating. Proof of this may be found in the numerous and expensive grilling accoutrements designed exclusively for the purpose of grilling fish. People would not invest all that money in such things if they were not afraid of throwing it straight on the grill. Personally I prefer to keep things simple, rustic even. I also do not want people in my cooking classes to feel like they must purchase some $40 gadget in order to pull off one of my recipes. So I have decided there are two ways to really grill fish- the manly way and the cowardly way. The cowardly way is to wrap the poor dear in foil and put on the grill. Yes, this will work, however you will be lacking the char and the true grill flavor. Honestly you might as well just bake it in the oven. That works too. The manly way is to just throw that thing on the grates. You can do it. Especially if you follow my advice.

For this adventure I bought my fish still alive from Whole Grains Market at Route 83 and Ogden. It's an Asian specialty store that you should really check out if you haven't already. They had white Tilapia and black Tilapia swimming around in the tank. I have no idea what the difference is, so I arbitrarily picked white. The fishmonger killed it quickly and mercifully. I had him gut it and cut an extra inch through the cavity. When he handed it to me, the bag was room temperature- which is strange for a Midwestern girl who typically gets her fish from a refrigerated case or freezer. For my stuffing, I'm keeping it simple with a few slices of lemon (seeds removed) and 2-3 fresh twigs of thyme from my herb garden.

You could use any whole fish you can find that's fresh- Tilapia or many varieties of trout or salmon would work. You can also use just about any fresh herbs you like instead of the thyme. Rosemary, dill, basil, cilantro, etc. Seriously, this was a super easy and super quick dinner. You can pull it off, just follow these basic steps:

• Use a whole fish, fillets are trickier (we will explore grilled fillets later this summer)
• Dry the fish thoroughly with paper towels
• Season the inside and outside with salt & pepper
• Place any stuffing (herbs, lemon slices) in the cavity of the fish
• Tie the fish shut with butcher's twine
• Coat the fish in a nice layer of oil (I use evoo)
• Make sure your grill grates are clean and oiled
• Throw the fish on and don't touch for at least 3-4 minutes or until those char marks are set
• Use a large flat, oiled spatula to slide under the fish, moving in the same direction as the grates
• Once you've got good char marks on both sides, move to a spot with indirect heat until the fish is cooked through
• Test doneness with a metal skewer inserted into the thickest part of the fish. It should feel warm to the touch when removed

Yes you will probably lose some of the skin to the grill. THIS IS ACCEPTABLE. The skin's job is to protect that beautiful flesh on the inside. Once the fish is done, remove to a platter and let it sit for a few minutes to rest. The skin should slide off the meat, allowing you to eat it with ease.

Once again thanks to Clark for the awesome pics!