“To be honest, fish can be fickle on the grill,” says Brad Leone. “I’m pretty good at it and still I screw it up sometimes.” To improve the odds, cut the fish into four easy-to-handle pieces—flipping each piece individually is a lot less stressful than dealing with the whole big fish. But leave the skin and bones intact: The skin insulates its tender meat during grilling, and the bones help keep the pieces together.
Ingredients
2–4 servings
¼ cup raw pistachios
10 prunes, pits removed, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 cups finely chopped parsley
1 cup finely chopped mint
1/4 cup finely chopped tarragon
1/4 cup kimchi or sauerkraut brine
2 Tbsp. Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
Kosher salt
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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Preparation
Step 1
Toast pistachios in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop.
Step 2
Gently mix pistachios, prunes, garlic, parsley, mint, tarragon, kimchi brine, and vinegar in a medium bowl to combine; season with salt. Whisk in oil, then taste and season spoon sauce with more salt if needed.
Step 3
Prepare a grill for medium heat. Using a chef’s knife, cleaver, or serrated knife, cut fish crosswise into 2″–4″-wide planks (the larger the fish, the wider the planks); halve planks if fish is large. Pat fish dry, rub all over with oil, and season with salt and Aleppo-style pepper. Grill fish, undisturbed, until about 70 percent cooked through (use a knife to slide into flesh to check), about 5 minutes. The skin should release easily from the grate when the fish is ready to turn. If it’s sticking, keep cooking.
Step 4
Using a large fish spatula, turn fish over and grill until cooked through (fish is done when a paring knife easily pierces the flesh along the side), about 2 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer fish to a platter and spoon sauce over.
Recipe BRAD LEONE
