Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- A Pandora weighing 2 pounds (900 g), cleaned and scaled
- 2 ounces (50 g) sundried tomatoes, of the kind packed in oil
- 2 ounces (50 g) blanched peeled almonds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chopped wild fennel fronds (whir 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds in a blender if need be)
- 1 clove garlic
- The larger leaves of 2 leeks
- Olive oil
- An organically grown lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Have your fishmonger clean and scale the fish. Brush it with olive oil and put it in the refrigerator for a half hour.In the meantime, start heating your grill, and steep the tomatoes in boiling water. When they have softened pat them dry and mince them with the garlic, fennel, almonds, and oregano. Stir 1/4 cup olive oil into the pesto mixture and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of the fish and the gill slits with the pesto.
Whisk the juice of the lemon with 4 tablespoons olive oil and a little salt and pepper, and brush the mixture over the fish. Blanch the greenest leek leaves for three minutes, and then wrap the fish in them.
The fish is ready, and by now your grill should be hot. Set the fish on it and cook for about 10 minutes, brushing it every now and again with the lemon sauce. Carefully flip it and cook the other side for 10 minutes too, brushing every now and then with the sauce.
The fish should by now be cooked. Carefully separate the leek leaves so you can check the fish -- if it is done the flesh will flake and pull away from the bones. Bring it to the table still wrapped in its leaves, and unwrap it before your guests. Serve it, with the vegetable of choice (not the leeks, which act as a container in this case) and a crisp white wine. I might go with a Falanghina del Taburno.
A Quick note to Timpaine:
Thank you for asking! I have clarified the recipe.
Kyle Phillips, Your Guide to Italian Cooking
