Barbecued sole with parsley lemon and garlic

Summer

Cooking outside over fire is incredibly popular now. In fact, I teach a class all about it. Many of my students are completely new to the idea and have never even lit a fire before, let alone cooked a meal over one. Others already enjoy cooking this way but want to understand it a little better. One question that always comes up is how best to cook fish over flames. Flat fish are perfect for this. They cook quickly, take on a gentle smokiness and their delicate flesh lifts beautifully from the bone.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 whole flat fish such as plaice, lemon sole or megrim, about 500g to 700g each, trimmed and gutted
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
A small handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Take the fish out of the fridge about an hour before cooking so they are not cold in the middle.

Light your fire or barbecue and allow it to burn down to a steady bed of glowing embers. You want a moderate heat rather than fierce flames, so the fish can cook through gently without burning.

Make sure the grill is clean. Give it a good scrub with a wire brush, then oil it lightly. Set the grill over the fire and allow it to heat well before adding the fish.

Rub the fish all over with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Place the fish dark skin side down on the hot grill. Let them cook undisturbed for about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully ease a corner up with a spatula to check the underside. The skin should be lightly charred and releasing easily from the grill.

Continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully turn the fish using two spatulas. Scatter the chopped garlic and parsley over the crisp hot skin straight away so it hits the heat and begins to sizzle. Squeeze over the juice of half the lemon.

Cook the fish for a further 3 to 4 minutes until the flesh at the thickest part flakes easily away from the bone.

Lift the fish from the grill and transfer to a board or platter. Serve straight away with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.

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