Grilling a Whole Fish — And Why It Became the Lent Loophole

Grilling a whole fish over charcoal is easier than most people think. In this video I cook a whole branzino with a bold Calabrian chili marinade and explore the surprising history behind why fish became the famous Lent loophole. You’ll learn how to choose fresh fish, prep it for the grill, and cook it over live fire so the skin crisps while the meat stays perfectly tender. Fish & Lent History: https://www.patreon.com/posts Personal Update: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shoes-by-door-153128877 Deeper Dive: https://www.patreon.com/posts/153211163 Grilled Branzino with Calabrian Chili Marinade Recipe: https://forkandembers.com/grilled-calabrian-branzino Join the Pitmaster's Circle → https://patreon.com/forkandembersbbq Get monthly BBQ tips, unlisted extras, access to my private BBQ Discord, merch, and more. Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. These are products I personally use and trust, and your support helps keep this channel going. Sourcing Ingredients: Calabrian Chili Paste: https://amzn.to/4sN02Mt Equipment Used: Thermapro Pen Thermometer: https://amzn.to/47wXrgv Weber Chimney Starter: https://amzn.to/4aQH2ne Kingsford Chimney Starter: https://amzn.to/3PVhpcQ Jo Torch: https://amzn.to/3KhsjKt Fire Starter: https://amzn.to/48GSYsr Nitrile Gloves: https://amzn.to/4q0onwE Prep Cups: https://amzn.to/4aj8SKb Fish Basket: https://amzn.to/472YOnY Oil Spritzer: https://amzn.to/4saHBkV Cake Tester: https://amzn.to/3NiOZvy Random: Wooden Mug: https://amzn.to/4lrnE6K Fishing Turtle: https://amzn.to/4rvzIVW Fisherman: https://amzn.to/4s9wNmZ Mini Fisherman: https://amzn.to/47wxcaU Connect with Me: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forkandembers Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.stanfield.14/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forkandembers/ Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:07 Earliest Version of Lent 2:45 Why Cook Branzino Fish? 3:32 How to Tell if Fish is Fresh 4:45 Marinade for Grilled Fish 6:43 Why People Fasted 8:35 Why Lent is 40 Days 9:30 Effects of Lent 13:57 How to Use Fish Baskets 15:22 How to Grill Whole Fish 17:51 How to Debone Whole Grilled Fish 20:15 Tasting Grilled Fish 21:27 Outro & Bloopers 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Shout At the Devil (2021- Remaster) by Mötley Crüe, https://t.lickd.co/l/W3RyaZWNRqQ 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Gaudete in domino semper by Capella Gregoriana, Traditional, https://t.lickd.co/l/dqlMDp9V6DB 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Alphabet Beat 12 (Sting) by Adam Drake, Tom Jenkins, https://t.lickd.co/l/KmXxPWexXM7 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Celestial Voices 5 by Ben Parry, https://t.lickd.co/l/7zYA9OxzYPK 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Electric Storm 8 (Sting) by Gareth Johnson, https://t.lickd.co/l/NQdLkpxKW69 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Sweat 10 (Sting) by Jake Field, Randall Breneman, https://t.lickd.co/l/nzXxRJLvNGZ