Um…They’re Whole…

AS happens from time to time, I take a package of something out of the freezer.  I’m positive there is fish in this package, but what kind, and how it was frozen is a bit of a mystery.  Then it begins to thaw.  There is the unmistakable appearance of a tail…and a fin or two…and then…oh dear.  Those are heads.  With eyeballs.

Zander chose that moment to walk into the kitchen and ask what was for dinner.  Fish was my quick reply, and he wandered over to see what I was doing.  “But Mommy, those look like real fish!”   My first instinct had been to fillet the fish, but since it’s been awhile since I’ve done so, I opted to try cooking the fish whole.  I washed the fish several times over before seasoning them with some sea salt.  Next, I made a little journey through the backyard where I picked some parsley, some chives, and then at the last minute I decided to pick some dill that had volunteered from last year.  I rounded out the mix with a lemon and a clove of garlic.  The garlic and herbs were chopped up together to season and flavor the fish.  Half of the lemon was sliced and tucked into the cavity where the innards had once been. (Thank goodness that was already done for me!) The other half of the lemon was squirted over the entire fishies as well as a drizzle of olive oil.  I wrapped the fish in foil and Andy set out to grill it.

I really didn’t know if it would turn out and had a back-up plan of a quick chef salad in case the fish, uh, flaked out on us. (Yes, go ahead and roll your eyes.)   About 20 minutes later Andy declared the fish cooked through and I set about removing the skins and the bones as carefully as I could.  I actually think I got most of the bones out- that’s one of the things I love about cooking whole fish in a foil packet.  If it turns out right, the bones should just lift right off of the fish- and that was the case here.  We pulled into the table, and I expected a murmur or two of dissension from the little people.  Just one week ago to the day we were being treated to a remarkable fish fry, and both children politely declined.  I expected a revolution at the dinner table.  Instead, I took a taste of the fish and decided it needed more citrus.  Being out of lemon, I reached into the bag of tiny key limes and sliced a few of those in half.  The kids eagerly squeezed lime juice on their fish and then proceeded to inhale it.  Both of them cleaned their plate- Abigail going in for a second helping.

I guess you never really know.  Just when you think you have them all figured out…