Various Fish Methods

When grilling, first remember to always line your grill pan with buttered foil, as this makes it easier to wash and prevents any fishy flavours from lingering in the pan. For domestic grills, always pre-heat them to their highest setting a good 10 minutes in advance. White fish needs to be brushed generously with melted butter and basted with more melted butter whilst cooking to prevent any dryness. This is something of a minefield to give timings for, because domestic grills vary so much, as do shelf-distances from the source of the heat, so bear this in mind when following these guidelines.

• whole sole or flounder, lemon sole or plaice weighing 10-12 oz – grill for 4-6 minutes each side.
• fillets of sole or plaice – 2-3 minutes each side.
• fish fillets and steaks weighing 6-8 oz – allow 5-6 minutes each side, flesh-side first, and have extra butter ready for basting during cooking.
• whole mackerel weighing 8-10 oz – make 3 diagonal scores on each side and, if you wish, tuck in a slice of lemon or lime, brush with melted butter and grill for 6-7 minutes each side.
• whole herring weighing 6-8 oz – score and butter as above and allow 4-5 minutes each side..

More tips on Grilling Seafood

A hinged wire grill basket is best for cooking whole fish such as snapper, trout or salmon. It also works well for fillets of tender fish such as perch, snapper, catfish or flounder. Firm fish, such as tuna, salmon, or shark can be cooked directly on the grill if handled carefully.
Skewer small shellfish such as shrimp or scallops on metal or water-soaked wooden skewers or cook them in a grill basket. Grill fillets over medium to medium-low heat. Fish can cook quickly and it is easier to slow down cook time and monitor to not overcook. Turn fish only once. (Flipping back and forth will break fish apart.) If using a marinade, allow fish to soak up flavor for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate while soaking in marinade. If you are going to use the marinade as an extra sauce on top of the cooked fish or seafood, the marinade liquid must be boiled by itself for at least 5 minutes to cook out any bacteria that may be there from when the fish was soaking. To grill shellfish in the shell, such as oysters, mussels and clams, place them directly on the hottest part of the grill. They’re done when the shell opens. Discard those that don’t open after about 5 minutes.

Brining

Prior to smoking, all salmon are brined with a cure of salt and sometimes sugar and spices. There are two common brining methods: dry brining, a mixture of salt and maybe sugar, spice and other flavorings which is applied directly onto the meat of the fish. Once the fish has been dry brined for awhile (depending on the species and size of the fish), the brine is rinsed off and the fish is ready to be smoked. When wet brined, the fish is placed into a solution of water, salt, and perhaps sugars and spices prior to smoking.

Tuna

Grilling Tuna

The grill offers you two ways of preparing tuna. One method is to grill it over a high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until it is cooked through. The other method is to grill it over a very high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. The first method is a much more traditional way of preparing fish on the grill. The second method is to simply sear the outside of the fish and leave the middle pretty much raw. I know that probably scares more than a few people, but sear tuna is one of my favorites. Okay, we’ll get to that one later. Tuna is a very lean fish and tends to dry out quickly on the grill. While marinating and applying oil to the fish will help reduce this, if you cook tuna beyond medium rare it will be dry. To combat this on the plate you will want to serve grilled tuna with a sauce or some kind of salsa.If you choose a piece of tuna that is about 1 inch thick then it will grill in about 8 to 10 minutes, flipped once. This will get through to the middle, provided that you grill is good and hot. You want to get the tuna off the grill before the surface starts to get crusty and burns. Unlike beef, lamb or pork you do not need to let tuna rest before serving. Get it off the grill and onto the plate right away.

Now for the seared tuna you want to prepare it pretty much the same way you would if you were going to grilling completely. A light brushing of oil, some salt and pepper and you are ready to go. The big difference is that you need a very hot grill. Some gas grills simply can not produce the heat to properly sear a piece of tuna. You best option in this case is to use a heavy cast iron skillet. The metal of the skillet will absorb the heat you need to get a good sear as long as you preheat the pan. If you trust your grill to produce the heat then go straight to the grate, otherwise use the skillet or a good heavy griddle.

Charcoal grills will allow you to bank up the coals, close the grate to get the kind of intense heat you need. To give you an idea of how hot you want it, the Food Network’s Alton Brown sears his tuna on a charcoal chimney. This is like stacking up about ten layers of coals and setting the tuna about 2 inches from the blast furnace like heat. The reason you want this kind of heat is because you will be grilling the tuna for about 90 seconds per side. I like to get super thick cuts of tuna, like a three inch thick block and then sear it on four sides or six if you can get it cut just right. I do the six sided cube for about 45 seconds per side or a total of four and a half minutes. This gives you about a piece of tuna that has a fantastic seared crust all around and a heated middle. It’s one of my absolute favorites. I’ve done it more times than I can count and I’m still alive.

Serve up seared tuna with a nice wasabi sauce or a balsamic reduction (boil balsamic vinegar until it gets thick, just do it outside the smell will kill rocks). Either way you prepare tuna always look for a good cut of fish. This means that the color is a deep red, but most importantly that it is even and doesn’t have dark patches. Tuna is a great fish for grilling and is very unlike most any fish you have ever cooked. It is truly unique and well worth the effort, especially considering how easy it is.