Ingredients

Preparation and cooking, 45 minutes plus 1 hour to marinate

4 whole branzino (about 1 pound each), filleted to yield 8 small fillets, or 4 larger fillets (6 to 8 ounces) of whatever fish you'd like (salmon, striped bass, snapper)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 tangerines
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced, fronds reserved for garnish
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Put the fillets in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Put the fennel seeds and peppercorns on a cutting board and whack with the bottom of a heavy pan to crack them; sprinkle the cracked spices over the fish. Remove a strip of zest from one of the tangerines with a zester or microplane and add it to the dish. Pour 1/2 cup of olive oil over the fish and let it all marinate for 1 hour.

Cut off the top and bottom ends of the tangerines so that they stand upright. Then use a knife to cut off the peels in long strips, including as much of the bitter white pith as possible. Cut between the membranes to free the sections; remove the seeds and set the sections aside in a medium bowl. Discard the membranes.

Place a large grill pan on two burners over medium-high heat; or preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill and get it very hot. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towels and then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill (or the ridges of the grill pan) to create a nonstick surface. Sprinkle the fish with salt. Put it on the grill and cook, turning once, until just cooked through but a little translucent in the center, 4 to 5 minutes total for thinner fillets, 8 to 12 minutes total for thicker fillets.

To finish, take your bowl with the tangerine sections, add the fennel, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, parsley, fennel fronds, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss. Arrange the salad on a platter, put the fish on top, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.