The whole fish dish known as pescado a la talla, served at Gabriela Camara’s Contramar in Mexico City, truly transcends a fish lover’s dreams. There, seasoned fish, usually a butterflied red snapper, gets slathered on one side with a green parsley sauce and a red chile adobo on the other. A special filleting and butterflying technique renders the fish super-easy to eat, sans any trace of bones. We dream of the sweet meat, perfectly seasoned, smoky from the grill.

In the land-locked Midwest, I do my best to approximate the flavors if not the experience. Our local fish markets usually offer small whole snapper, whole branzino and rainbow trout. All are delicious with the help of a grill and a pair of salsas.

Grilling fish adds flavor and color. It also keeps cooking smells out of the house. Fish cooks quickly. Organization and the proper tools prove key. Have the sauces made and serve them at room temperature. The fish can be seasoned and stuffed with aromatics several hours before lighting the grill. Use a hinged grill basket for cooking the fish. Or, set the oiled fish directly on the grill and use one or two very thin metal spatulas to aid in flipping the fish.

Most importantly, the grill grates must be clean. When the grates are piping hot, scrape them clean with a grill brush or a ball of foil. Then, oil the fish well and set it in an oiled grill basket or directly on oiled grates. This may seem excessive, but the oil helps prevent sticking, yielding a prettier presentation.

Of course, you can substitute skin-on fish fillets for the whole fish. Oil the skin well and place the fillets on the grill skin side down. Cook over medium direct heat until the skin releases from the grates and the fish is almost flaking easily, 4 to 6 minutes. No need to flip the fillets. Smear them with some of each sauce and grill one more minute. Remove gently with a thin metal spatula to the serving plates.

For the sauces, simply start with bottled salsas and add fresh notes to make them your own. Boost color and herbaceousness in a green salsa with the addition of fresh herbs and the spike of a raw green chile. Ground achiote adds a musty note to a bright tomato sauce that pairs well with fish; fresh lemon rind adds a summery touch.

Serve grilled fish with a hearty side, such as a combination of brown rice and quinoa. Or smashed potatoes with coarse salt. Offer warm corn tortillas for scooping up bits of fish and a spoonful of the sauces.

Grilled Whole Fish with Two Salsas

Makes 4 servings

Note: Be sure the fish is nicely oiled before placing it on the grill. Use a grill basket for fish if you have one. Otherwise, use a thin-bladed spatula to help flip the fish to cook both sides.

1/2 cup wood chips, such as mesquite or applewood

1/2 cup mild or medium red tomato salsa (not chunky-style)

1 teaspoon powdered achiote (annatto) seed or 1/2 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

Salt to taste

1/2 cup green tomatillo salsa

1/2 jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon each: freshly ground black pepper, cumin, smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 whole trout, scaled, cleaned, butterflied, about 1 1/2 pounds total

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

Fresh sprigs of cilantro and chives

2 cups baby red arugula

Fresh limes, quartered

1. Soak wood chips in a small bowl of water to cover for at least 30 minutes.

2. Put tomato salsa and achiote into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring once or twice, until hot, about 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in lemon rind and season to taste with salt.

3. Put green salsa, chile and chopped cilantro into a blender. Process until almost smooth. Season with salt and pour into a small bowl.

4. Mix salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and cayenne in a small bowl.

5. Rinse fish and pat dry. Lightly score skin on both sides of fish by making two shallow, parallel, diagonal cuts in skin. Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle inside and out with salt mixture. Rub fish on all sides with oil. Stuff cavity with garlic, chives and cilantro sprigs. Refrigerate while you set up the grill.

6. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat (400 degrees). Or, prepare a charcoal grill and let coals burn until covered in gray ash. Put drained, soaked wood chips on a piece of foil and set over heat source.

7. Place fish in an oiled fish grilling basket or directly on the grill grates over the heat. Cover grill and cook 5 minutes. Carefully flip the fish. Cover the grill and cook until fish almost flakes easily, 3 to 5 minutes more. Carefully transfer to a serving platter.

8. Toss arugula with a little olive oil and salt. Pile in center of fish and serve with the two salsas and limes.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2025 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.