Tired of gefilte fish?

Grill a whole fish with lemon grass and garlic for Passover

Passover can be a holiday of enormous angst when so much gravitas has been lavished upon gathering recipes, scouring pots, dragging chairs upstairs and, for many, extensive cleaning. Think operation zero chametz, a full-out search-and-destroy mission for anything containing the five forbidden grains. Must we pile on any more tasks?

A busy cook might be well-served to meditate for a moment on the barbecue.

With Passover’s late arrival this year (it begins sundown April 19), spring’s warm temperatures invite us to fire up the grill. Expect someone to bring up a fifth question at the Seder: Is it kosher? Yes!

This year, indulge your guests with a whole grilled fish to sub for that oftmaligned gefilte fish and its innate deficiencies. Or offer both for the appetizer at the Seder; or grilled fish for the main course or for any of the following nights.

Thinking outside the oven makes a lot of sense, says kosher chef Laura Frankel, who will be grilling a fish for the main dish on the seventh night.

“Grilling on a cedar plank takes the stress out of the task. You won’t be scraping fish off the grill,” she explains. While your oven is overstuffed keeping other courses warm, “(the fish) is taking care of itself out on the grill.” The strongest case for grilling fish? Frankel is convinced of its “smoky, wonderful, delicious flavor.”

There is no written law commanding Jews to eat gefilte fish on the holiday. It’s a custom rooted in the Ashkenazic regions of Eastern Europe, and for many Diaspora Jews, the gefilte fish (meaning stuffed) recalls the rich culture of the shtetls, or small towns.

Jewish law only requires that the fish has fins and scales. Frankel suggests several cold ocean fish: red snapper, branzino, black bass, striped bass or a small grouper. These will have a hardier flavor than a freshwater fish like trout.

Grilling offers many advantages: no odors from poaching ground fish, no pulling fish torpedoes out of a jar with a gelatinous goo derived from simmering fish bones and no need to mask its blandness with zesty, creamy horseradish.

Simply slide the grilled fish onto a platter garnished with spring herbs and a dollop of gremolata, which adds a pleasantly sharp citrusy kick. Then place it center stage on your table. When it’s time to eat, remove it to the kitchen for deboning and slicing into easy-to-eat portions.

Be prepared: Afishionados will surely ask for seconds.

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE PHOTOS; SHANNON KINSELLA/FOOD STYLING The whole fish (snapper) is served with an herb sauce of garlic, parsley, lemon, orange and nuts. The lemon grass and garlic coating crisps on the grill.

Score both sides of the outside of the fish with half-inchdeep cuts about 11⁄2 inches apart to promote even cooking.

Coat both sides of the outside of the fish with the lemon grass-garlic paste. Rub it on the inside of the fish as well.