Fish on the Beach

Last night was the start of the Hebrew month of Av.  With the nine day countdown to Tisha B’Av, we put aside all thoughts of chickens, cows and lambs and turn to the sea, literally…

During the nine days leading up to the second biggest fast day of the Jewish calendar we enter a period of mourning, and that means that no meat is on the menu except on Shabbat.  While Elsie, Foghorn Leghorn and Lambchop can all breathe a sigh of temporary relief, Nemo is on the run for his life.  Fish figures big time during the Nine Days, as does dairy and other vegetarian delights.

Last night we loaded up the car with various BBQ paraphernalia, drove to the beach and met up with Scarlet, Sasquatch, their sweet Heidi (the fastest growing Doberman in Israel) and a few of their friends.  Sasquatch brought along 11 burri, which translates to grouper in English.  We unpacked a treasure trove of ingredients and proceeded to work together to peel potatoes and chop vegetables… in the pitch black of night.  We had sand, surf, the lulling calm of the waves, the occasional barks coming from Heidi, but not much light.  Miraculously, no one lost a finger.

Barbequed Beach Burri

There are no exact measurements for this castaway meal.  Use as much or as little as you like of each ingredient.

• Burri fish (grouper, or any other barbequeable fish), cleaned, but left whole
• potato, peeled and cut into thin slices
• red pepper, sliced into strips (I forgot this in the original posting of this recipe, and then looked at the picture and asked myself, “what’s that red stuff?” and oy!
• garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely diced
• lemons, thinly sliced
• parsley
• coarse salt
• olive oil

1. Rub each fish inside and out with the olive oil.  Give it a good massage.
2. Rub each fish inside and out with the coarse salt.  Let the fish have a spa treatment before being engulfed in flames.
3. Stuff the fish with the potato, red pepper strips, garlic, lemon slices and parsley
4. Shmear some olive oil on a sheet of silver foil.  Wrap the fish well in the foil.
5. Cook over hot coals until done, about 20 minutes.
6. Unwrap the fish and smell the wonderfulness of the garlic and the lemon.
7. Pick at the fish with your fingers, eating desert island style.  Make sure your fingers are clean if you’ve been playing with the dog in the sand while your husband slaves over the hot coals.

Ju-Boy helps Shy-Boy start the BBQ -- notice the coal miner's flashlight on his forehead, it's dark on the beach

Sasquatch helps get the coals going

Stuff the fish with as much or as little as you like

Waiting for the flames

Enjoy!