- 6 whole mackerel or other small, whole, bone-in fish (8 to 10 ounces each), scaled and gutted
- Salt
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 24 to 30 grape leaves
- Olive oil
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Remove the heads from the fish or leave them on, as you prefer. Liberally salt the fish inside and out and rub them inside and out with the lemon juice.
- Gently squeeze the excess liquid out of the grape leaves without wringing them dry. Wrap enough grape leaves around each fish to enclose it completely, head to tail. Place the wrapped fish on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
- When you are ready to cook the fish, heat a grill to medium. Lightly coat the grape leaf wrapping with olive oil.
- Place the fish on the grill and cook until the leaves are lightly charred all around and the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork, 8–12 minutes. Serve right away, garnished with the lemon wedges.