Grilled fish

🐟 Two whole tilapia grilled with an onion, green pepper and herb marinade; four portions after removing bones.

Ingredients

• 2 whole scaled and gutted tilapia, about 500 g each prepared
• 100 g onion
• 80 g seeded green bell pepper
• 20 g spring onion
• 15 g washed parsley
• 6 g garlic
• 10 g tomato paste
• 30 ml neutral oil: 25 ml marinade, 5 ml grill
• 15 ml drinking water, only if needed for blending
• 4 g salt, adjusted
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Check and pat fish dry; make two or three shallow slashes per side. Separate raw and cooked plates.

Blend onion, pepper, spring onion, parsley and garlic with paste, salt, pepper and 25 ml oil; add 15 ml water only if needed.

Coat fish and slashes, cover and refrigerate one hour. Clean hands and raw-fish utensils.

Near the end, heat a clean grill moderately. Use stable embers and a cooler zone; grease grate with reserved 5 ml oil.

Remove thick marinade clumps and discard leftover raw marinade. Place fish on the grill, preferably in a fish basket.

Grill about 25–35 minutes total, turning carefully halfway. Move to cooler heat if browning too fast; never baste with raw marinade.

Check thick flesh near the head with a clean thermometer, avoiding bone: at least 63 °C, opaque and easily flaked. Extend if needed.

Transfer to clean plate and divide into four, removing bones carefully. Refrigerate promptly and use within 24 hours after thorough reheating.