Let’s Grill Some Fish: Spilled Milk #115

Quick, easy, with intensely good flavor: This is how I like to eat in the summer.

OK, it’s full-on grilling season, and there is nothing easier than grilling a whole fish. Small ones feed 1-2 persons, and if you’re worried about fish sticking to the grill, know that whole fish won’t stick as long as it’s well-oiled and cooked on a clean and well prepped grill surface.

The presentation can’t be beat. Besides, this is how I like to eat these days. Serve with some roasted peppers peeled and simply dressed with capers, olive oil and anchovies, cold steamed asparagus with a tart mustardy vinaigrette, some Israeli cous cous salad — lots of little summery dishes equals perfection. Your lunch the next day will thank you, too.

A word about the sauce: The old school says Make an herb cream sauce. The new school says Let's go lighter and more international with some bright notes of the herbs but with some olive oil and lemon. I combine both thoughts into an all-purpose sauce that CAN’T BE BEAT. Use it on everything all year long. This is the stuff of dreams and so easy. What’s more it’s easy to reheat as a leftover.

And grilling fish? I use 2- 2.5-pound farmed pacific red snapper. An easy family favorite with clean white flesh that everyone loves. And of course, there are plenty of other reasons to grill whole fish: