Whole Grilled Red Snapper

It has been a month since I last posted a recipe. Let’s catch up:

For the past 5 years, my husband and I have lived in a small town in Pennsylvania. Although we loved the friendships we made, we spent those 5 years wishing we lived somewhere else. It couldn’t just be anywhere else though. It had to meet our specific criteria.

1. It had to be a place where we would want to vacation.
2. It must be in the South so that we can escape snow.
3. A beach must be near by.
4. There had to be a downtown with amazing restaurants.
5. It had to be a state that had reciprocity with PA, so my hubs did not need to retake the Bar.
6. We had to both get jobs before we moved.

After many years of deliberation, we decided that Georgia was our state. After applying to Atlanta and Savannah, my husband landed an interview in Savannah. We were ecstatic! However, he received an email a few hours after the interview that said he did not get the job. We spent the next few days disappointed, wondering what we were going to do next.

We finally decided to stop trying to control the situation, let go and let God handle it. We were prayerful, letting God know that we trust Him no matter how challenging it was. Well let me tell you, God took us on a roller coaster ride and tested our faith.

Days after my husband received the depressing email, another came through. It said, “We are anticipating another position will open up soon, would you like to be considered for it? You would not have to interview, since you already did.” Um what? We were stunned. In summary, he responded, “Heck yes I want to be considered for this job!” After a series of cryptic emails, it was decided that we would visit Savannah FOR THE FIRST TIME and have an informal lunch with these hiring attorneys.

Before our travels we were told that it would take 3 months for my husband to be accepted into the Georgia Bar. Additionally, this job started in August, yet the board would not meet to decide until September. Therefore, even if he was offered the job in Savannah, he would have to turn it down. Again, we talked to God.

*Ring, ring* I answered my phone. “I just got accepted into the Georgia Bar,” my husband frantically explained. Miraculously, the board met before their summer break and basically fast tracked him through the application process! Why? Who are we for them to do that? It was God.

We visited Savannah two weeks later. This was our first time and we loved it! The downtown scene was alive and the beach was refreshing. We had a lunch interview with attorneys from the hiring office (they invited me too) and left feeling nervous. “What if we came all this way for nothing?” So we talked to God. An hour later my husband got an email. “Congratulations, you got the job!”

While all of this was happening with my husband, I was interviewing for teaching jobs. I received several phone interviews and was offered three jobs after two 30-minute phone conversations! They kept asking me when we were going to move and wondering why I could not commit. I explained that if my husband did not get the job, then we were not going to move. So I was stuck, just waiting. I leaned on God and told Him that I trusted whatever decision He made for us. Man, it was not easy.

Back in Savannah: When my husband was told that he got the job, we immediately went into the school that wanted to hire me and told them I would accept the position. It all happened so fast for us! We looked around and started to laugh. Then we panicked! “Oh my gosh, we are moving in two weeks! What are we doing? Are we crazy?”

A month has literally flown by and we have been flying by the seat of our pants. To me, it seems like I am running on ice. Two days after we moved into our new apartment, I started teaching. Boxes were barely even unloaded and I began a new job! Eeek. I am teaching children with Autism in grades K-5. They are so busy that by the end of the day I look around my classroom and say, “What just happened?” Being a seasoned teacher in a new state has been challenging. There are so many different rules, procedures and systems. I feel like a brand new teacher all over again. That means staying late, coming in early and doing lesson plans all weekend.

But all that to say, we absolutely LOVE Savannah. The restaurants are incredible, the scenery is breathtaking, the people are kind, the beach is everything a beach should be and the grocery stores have anything and everything I could ever want. We thank God for moving us here!

Today marks the day where I become slightly settled and get to enjoy my food blogging hobby. I visited the Forsyth Park Farmer’s Market today and was disappointed that they were not selling fish. But I live in Savannah now, so I meandered to my nearest Whole Foods and found gorgeous whole fish packed in ice, begging for me to come hither.

This Whole Grilled Red Snapper recipe is so fresh and healthy. I was a bit intimidated by the idea of choosing the right fish, but Cooking Light helped me out with a few tips:

1. Look for uniformly colored, shiny flesh. Reddish, brown bruises indicate mishandling.
2. Look for clear, bulging eyes, bright red gills and moist, flat tails.
3. Fresh fish should feel firm and springy. Press it lightly. If a dent stays, it is yucky.
4. Skin should be moist, not slimy.
5. Have the fishmonger wrap your fish water-tight and put in a bag of crushed ice.

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Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) red snapper, gutted and scaled
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 5 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1 bulb fennel, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Score the fish on both sides: Cut through flesh at 45-degree angle down to the bone. Score 1.5 inches apart from fin to tail.
2. Rub both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place lemon, rosemary, oregano, fennel and onion into the open cavity of the fish’s belly and scored slits.
4. Grill on medium-high heat for 7 minutes on each side. Flesh should be firm and separate from the bone easily.
5. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan and Enjoy!

Recipe inspired by Cooking Light August 2015