I love whole fish on the grill. Crispy skin, moist meat, a bit of char … oh my. Well, it’s winter and it’s cold, but my craving for whole fish — head and all — doesn’t disappear when grilling season sets. Sometimes I can convince my husband to bundle up and brave the frigid temperatures to tend the grill, but whole fish is just as easy in the oven.

Whole Fish Wrapped in Grape Leaves: 

Ask your fish monger to clean and scale the fish for you. Bronzino is always a good choice as is red snapper or black bass (above). Salt and pepper the entire fish, stuff with a few lemon slices and fresh herbs, then wrap tightly in grape leaves. The skin certainly won’t crisp up with this method, but you are guaranteed moist fish! Drizzle the whole darn thing with olive oil and bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes (for a 1 1/2 to 2 pound fish). Unwrap and enjoy.

Recipe adapted from the cookbook Zahav by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook