Fins and Fire: Grilling fish is easy
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
BY JOE DUGGAN/Lincoln Journal Star
Think about the following words for a moment:
Gill.
Grill.
Separated by one letter only ... coincidence?
Not likely when you consider that a chunk of fresh fish and a hot grill go together like lemonade and ice cubes. Grilling renders fish crispy-seared on the outside, tender-moist on the inside with wonderfully smoky overtones.
Yet many people who own grills and enjoy eating fish never bring the two together. Perhaps it’s intimidation. Perhaps the risk of watching a pricey piece of yellowfin crumble into the coals outweighs the reward.
Relax.
By following a few simple directions, anyone can practically eliminate the risk and grill great-tasting fish.
Lorin Dagel, executive chef/owner of Venue Restaurant and Lounge (70th Street and Pioneers Boulevard) and Travis Green, chef/owner of Dish (11th and O streets) provided the directions. We threw in other tips gleaned from personal experience, foodnetwork.com and the Southern Living “Ultimate Grilling and BBQ Guide.”
So read up, buy some fish and expand your grilling repertoire to include the gilled set.
The fishSmell — literally — before you buy fresh fish. Fresh fish should smell clean, like a burst of sea spray. Or at the very least, it should smell neutral. If it smells strongly fishy, it’s no longer fresh.
Use your nose
Eye that fish eyeThe eye of whole fish should be clear and sharp. Fillets and steaks should be moist and translucent, not dry or dull. They also should feel firm and clean, never mushy or slimy.
Get it on the grill ... statEating fish left in a 40-degree fridge for three days is a recipe for a sleepless night. Eat the day of purchase or the next, at the latest. And store it on ice in the fridge — the lower temperature makes a difference.
If you can’t eat fresh fish quickly, buy frozen instead, just make sure it’s not freezer burned. Paying premium prices for fresh fish and then freezing it — why?
Select the right fishFor cooking directly on grill grates, you can’t beat salmon, tuna, halibut, grouper and mahi mahi. You can experiment with other varieties, but fish with thicker, firmer flesh will hold together better on the grill than delicate fillets that flake when heated.
Also, learn something about the fish before you buy it. Many species are harvested responsibly and sustainably, while others are caught in ways that seriously threaten natural resources. An online guide called Seafood WATCH explains how to tell. Check it out at www.www.montereybayaquarium.org and shop accordingly.
The grillIf you’re using propane, preheat until the grill is hot. If you’re a charcoal griller, make sure they’re gray and red. You can back off the heat (or raise the grates) during cooking, but always start with hot grates.
Get it hot
Clean those gratesClean grates help keep the fish from sticking, so get out that wire brush and at least scrub away any charred bits sticking to the cooking surface. To clean a really dirty grill, turn up the heat, put a sheet of foil on top of the grates and close the lid for about 10 minutes. Remove the sheet and hit the grates with a wire brush.
Oil those gratesIt’s best to apply the cooking oil after the grill is hot — so go ahead and use a spray if you like the smell of singed forearm hair. A better option: Fold a thick paper towel into a wad and saturate it with canola oil. Use a steel kitchen tongs to grip the wadded towel and smear the canola on the hot grates shortly before you lay on the fish.
The preperationIt’s up to you. Most grilled fish tastes great with brushed with a little olive oil and dusted with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Marinade or not
Marinades also go well with fish, but fish is like a sponge, so a 30- to 40-minute steep is usually long enough. And if the marinade uses a citrus base, the cooking process already will have begun.
One other tip: Leave the marinaded fish on the counter 15 or 20 minutes before grilling.
The executionYou’re grilling with high or medium-high heat for just a short time, not pit smoking a side of pork for a few days. So put down that beer and devote your full attention to what’s about to happen.
Focus
On the grill, on the clockCooking time is critical because you don’t want to undercook, but most home chefs overdo it and are disappointed by a dry, tough result.
A good rule of thumb calls for 10 minutes of cooking per inch of thickness. But that’s 10 mintues total. In other words, if you’re grilling a one-inch-thick salmon steak, shoot for about five mintues on one side and five minutes on the other.
Cooking time can also vary depending upon the type of fish. For example, tuna tastes great medium-rare while salmon should be more like medium-well.
Keep in mind that cooking continues after you’ve pulled the fish from the grill.
Cooking times are guidelines. You also can judge doneness by how much the fish sticks to the grates. After the desired cooking time, use a two-pronged fork to gingerly lift an edge of the fish. Fish that’s ready for a turn should lift easily. If it’s stuck, wait a little longer and check again. If it’s still stuck, make sure you clean the grates better next time.
If you want cross-hatch marks, lift the fish, rotate about a quarter turn and set down on the same side on a clean spot of the grill. Wait a minute or so, flip, then repeat the quarter turn when the second side is ready.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: Flip your fish only once.
Take a restNot you, the fish. Let it sit for a few mintues before serving, so the moisture you worked so hard to preserve doesn’t run out with the first slice.
Taste and smileYou’re eating perfectly grilled seafood in the most landlocked spot on the continent. Who says the age of miracles has passed?
Reach Joe Duggan at 473-7239 or jduggan@journalstar.com.
Honey Garlic Grilled Salmon
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 salmon steaks (¾- to 1-inch thick)
In small bowl, whisk soy sauce, honey and garlic, making sure honey blends well.
Combine fish and marinade in a sealed plastic food bag and refrigerate for about 20 minutes then take out of fridge for 15 or 20 minutes before grilling.
Grill salmon on medium-high heat until medium or medium-well, between 5 and 7 minutes per side.
Note: Add a different dimension to the marinade by adding 2 tablespoon of freshly chopped ginger
Grilled Swordfish with Lemon, Mint and Basil
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (5 to 6 ounces each) swordfish steaks
Prepare the grill (medium-high heat). Whisk the oil, mint, lemon juice, basil and garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Season the lemon and olive oil mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
Brush the swordfish steaks with 2 tablespoons of the lemon and olive oil mixture. Grill the steaks until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness of steaks). Transfer the steaks to plates. Spoon the remaining sauce over and serve.
Source: Giada De Laurentiis
Orange-Soy Tuna
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup dry sherry, optional
4 tuna steaks (¾- to 1-inch thick)
Whisk the marinade ingredients, including sherry, if desired. Pour over tuna in a shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for one hour, turning tuna once. Remove and put tuna on a plate, allowing to stand 15 minutes at room temperature before grilling.
Pour marinade in sauce pan, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce is reduced by half.
Grill tuna less than 5 mintues per side to achieve medium-rare. Serve with sauce.
Source: Southern Living Ultimate Grilling and BBQ Guide
Post Your Comment
Standards and RulesYour posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.