This is a recipe from Martha Stewart's new cookbook, Martha's American Food. As usual, it's great and I'm not much of a fish eater.
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
2 whole whitefish (about 3 pounds each), cleaned
coarse salt and fresh pepper
4 lemons, 3 cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and 1 cut into 1" pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme, plus more sprigs for garnish
20 strips of bacon (about 1 1/4 pounds)
- Brush a fish grilling basket with oil or spray with Pam.
- Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slits (in serving size portions) along both sides of the fish.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Reserve 6 to 8 lemon rounds and a few sprigs of thyme: place the remaining lemon rounds and thyme inside the fish cavities, dividing evenly.
- On a large cutting board, lay 2 bacon slices end to end, slightly overlapping; repeat with 5 more slices laying so pairs are parallel to each other and 1 inch apart.
- Arrange a fish over bacon, placing head and tail on single slices.
- Wrap bacon around fish and secure with toothpicks.
- Tuck a few reserved sprigs under bacon and place the fish in the basket.
- Repeat with remaining bacon, fish and reserved thyme.
- Place on grill; cover and cook until fish are opaque throughout, about 10 minutes each side. Watch for burning.
- Transfer to a platter.
- Grill lemon rounds until lightly charred.
- Garnish with additional thyme, and the lemon pieces and grilled slices.
