Grilled Whole Red Tilapia and Striped Bass

RED TILAPIA

this is a beautiful fish. once again i have found another reason to drive all the way to my favorite Chinese market, 99 Ranch. the fish selection is so outstanding, always fresh, whole, live and/or filleted..and when you buy it whole they will clean it for you while you wait. i never even knew there was a RED Tilapia. grilled whole and stuffed with lemon, tarragon and garlic i found this unbelievably meaty, moist and so clean..beautiful white flesh. alas, i have no photo of the finished product because i am new to grilling whole fish and sorry to say this one didn't turn out so pretty in the looks department, but the flavors well made up for the loss in visual. next time i will be a little more generous with oiling the grill...woops...my bad...it's called GRILLING 101.

STRIPED BASS

i guess this is a typical grilling fish. as i googled around for ideas on whole fish, this is the one that most often came up. not sure why being that there are so many others to chose from. the bass was quite good and did hold up well to the grill. it's a little slimmer than the Tilapia and makes for a nice presentation. nothing really WOW about this fish...just a nice white fish that takes on flavors well. i stuffed this one with lemon, thyme and garlic.

don't be afraid of the whole fish...

NO, THEY DO NOT BITE.

the presentation can be excellent if your game. the bummer i find hard to deal with is the tiny little "no-see-um" bones. just when you think you've got the prefect bite...fish bone!... i know there is a skill to eating whole fish, but i have yet to conquer this seemingly difficult technique, although it won't keep me from trying. the flavor and moisture from cooking whole with all it's fatty omegas and those pesky bones really seems to make a difference.

Grilling Whole Fish

chose your fish wisely. trust your fish monger. i have found a few important things to look for when buying whole fish...
VISUAL...should look like it just flopped out of the water onto the ice.
the eyes should be clear not cloudy or marred.
the gills should be a nice fresh dark red and separate easily.
SMELL...if you question it at all, ask to inspect the fish and give it a good smell...if you smell ANYTHING don't buy it.
when you get your fish home inspect the inside and wash/cut out any bits that got left behind and dry it completely.
i found a great tutorial at ABOUT.com for the next few steps found here
follow these easy step by step instructions or at least read through it for some good info.
choose some good flavors for your stuffing. there are so many possibilities. some nice fresh herbs and a few lemon slices is always quick and simple. i chose to sew my fish closed with a needle and cooking string, but it's not necessary if you handle your fish with care.

in conclusion...
oiling the grill is most important
don't forget to salt and pepper the inside
AND slash the fattest part of the fish on the outside for even cooking
learning how to serve the whole fish is equally important.
here are a few helpful sites to check out.
How to eat a whole fish #1
How to eat a whole fish #2

BBQ Frog Legs

let me just start by killing the myth that frog legs taste just like chicken.

i don't know where you get your chicken from , but...

THEY DO NOT TASTE JUST LIKE CHICKEN

they are, however, worth the challenge...if you're up for it. i've been wanting to get my hands on some of these ever since i went to the LA County Fair last year and had deep fried frog legs (as seen here). i read about the vendor in the LA Times and drove out there all by myself just to get some of these infamous legs..and deep fried no doubt! (of course i went for the chocolate covered bacon too...click here for pics) it was worth the trip just to say i ate Frog Legs from Chicken Charlies at the LA County Fair. i know i'll go again this year for a second round. the BBQ aroma as you drive up is mesmerizing in itself...here's a little more from last year's excursion.

like i said...these are worth a try, but be ready to bring some flavor to the table. i found that they really don't have much flavor. if anything they tasted just a bit fishy? the chicken reference is true with the texture. the actual taste is like a bland fish...kind of nondiscript...kind of watery. mine were bought frozen (where on earth was i gonna find fresh legs besides the Back Bay) so that could have affected the flavor. i could almost liken it to Talapia that was frozen and not thawed/dried properly. so far doesn't sound too good...huh? don't get me wrong, i liked them, however, i will once again be eating them alone. not such a big hit at the dinner table with Big Al and Fancy P. Big Al used to catch them as kid in Michigan and eat them all the time so i thought he might get a kick out of these (pardon the pun), but i guess he's had his fill of frog legs for a life time and doesn't really want to see them again. oh well, i can't wait to try them again. i bought 2 packages and i think i might do the typical fried method next.

for my first go around i just wanted to throw them on the BBQ. i must admit, i knew i wanted to get a photo in so i went the easy route. i googled around and found all sorts of ways to cook these little legs, but i thought if everybody says they taste like chicken, well then, i'll treat them like chicken.

i chose the Hoisin Garlic glaze by "Soy Vay". if you haven't tried this particular sauce i suggest you get some. it's found in the Asian section. one of the favorites around here is pork tenderloin, sliced and marinated in a ziploc for a few hours then put on the grill...same thing with chicken or just brush a little on your salmon, swordfish or shrimp.

oh...the small pic to the right is one way to protect the little skinny calves and feet from getting too cooked. i read this suggestion and wrapped one, then quickly abandoned the idea after it felt like i might be getting too one on one with the legs...you know what i mean?...i have found that when cooking strange things such as ears, tails, trotters and the like...you just don't want to get too too involved with the preparation. it becomes less of a meat and more of a question..."can i really be eating this?"

not such a great photo above, but just a reminder that they shouldn't be on direct heat for the full cooking time. i put them on direct heat to get some grill marks, then moved them to the foil untill i thought they were done. whoose to say when they are "done". since i'm just a tad inexperienced with the frog legs i had to guess...it's like chicken...right? i bet i could have left them on a bit longer. maybe it would have removed some of the moisture or watery texture i was talking about. next time if i BBQ them again, i think i'll use alot more glaze as well...maybe even marinade them first because like i said...they need some flavor.

FROG LEGS...

below are just a few of many sites i found helpful...

the wrapped legs easy BBQ recipe
easy Cooks.com sautee recipe

Emeril Lagassee does Frog Legs

step by step-typical fried frog legs

nutritional facts

where to find?...most likely you will find them in an Asian market. if you live in So. California i suggest to high tail it to a 99 Ranch Market near you. so much FUN!!! click HERE for locations in the Los Angeles area