The Wonderful World of Barbequing II

By George Koutsivitis

I'm back with part 2 of my barbequing tips and secrets as promised; today I'll be talking to you about seafood and vegetables. I was just laughing as I was thinking of some of my friends (who can't even boil an egg) that claim to be grill masters when it comes to fish. We usually end up ordering pizza when they decide to do the cooking or grilling. "Surely, it's not that hard," I say to them. Yet, for some people it actually is, remember, not everyone was born with a pair of tongs in their hands. Same goes for us chefs as well, we weren't born cooking, we had to learn, just like everybody else. I remember my first attempt at grilling fish, it was a total disaster. I was trying to keep it simple, and stick to a recipe that worked well under a broiler, a salmon teriyaki recipe. I coated my salmon fillets with the teriyaki sauce mixture and placed them on the grill. After mastering broiling, poaching, searing, and braising at culinary school, I thought that grilling fish would be a piece of cake. I was so wrong, the grill marks stayed on the grill together with the skin of my salmon fillet… Desperately, I tried to rescue the remainder of my dinner, removing torn pieces of salmon from the clutches of the fire, but to no prevail… I didn’t stress too much about it, just like any other set back in my life, this one only motivated me even more. I was determined to conquer the world of grilling. Once I learned to avoid the sticking points, it became my favorite way to cook fish. Here are a few tips that I think will help you grill with confidence and avoid having to call the pizza delivery guy... :)

Choose the right fish type: The fish to avoid are flaky fillets that are sold skinless, especially if they are frozen. These fish are likely to fall apart and through the grill. All other fish types can be used for grilling. Salmon, bluefish, stripped bass, swordfish, and small whole fish like red snapper, sea bream, trout, and branzino are perfect and particularly delicious grilled.
Preheat the grill to high: The grill should be so hot that you would not be able to hold your hand 4 inches above the grill longer than 3-4 seconds.
Brush the grill with oil right before adding the fish: Pick up a wad of paper towel with tongs, dip it in oil, and brush the preheated grill right before adding the fish. Forget cooking sprays. Oil works even better, just make sure you do not use more that 3-4 drops of oil on your fish, you do not want flare ups that will burn you food.
Do not use 75 different ingredients on your fish: Let the fresh and natural flavor of the fish speak for itself. I find that the best way to prepare fish for the grill is also the simplest, salt, pepper, and a little oil. A few fresh herbs in the cavity if you’re grilling whole fish, and that’s it! No fancy flavored glazes, no lemon juice, nothing! It's best to squirt it over the fish after grilling with some extra virgin olive oil.
Do not remove the skin when grilling: Not only does it keep your fish moist and together, it also turns nice and crispy and incredibly delicious (not to mention good for you with all those omega-3 fatty acids). Swordfish is an exception; I find that their skin is too tough to eat, so it's best to remove it before grilling.
Grill on the skin side first: If you will encounter any sticking, it will likely be on the flesh side, so grilling on the skin first allows you to keep your grill clean as long as possible. Another reason to grill on the skin side first is to prevent fillets from curling up. Fillets of some fish, like red snapper and stripped bass, have a tendency to do that, resulting in uneven grilling and rubbery skin. Once you place the fish on the grill, cover it, and let it be until you are ready to turn it. The more you tinker with the fish, the higher the chances of tearing its skin and having it fall apart.
Turn the fish with a fork: When I ran into the problem of torn and misplaced skin, I assumed that the fish stuck to the grill. What actually happened was that my spatula tore the skin as I tried to slip it under the fillet. To avoid this pitfall, slip the tins of a fork between the grill grates and gently push up on the fish. Do it in couple of places until the grill lets go of the fish. Do not try to lift the fish in the air and flip onto the other side. Instead turn it onto empty grilling space next to it, like turning a page.
To turn whole fish, take a fork in one hand and a spatula in another. Gently push up the fish with a fork in several places to dislodge it and let it drop back onto the spatula. This will help you push its weight onto the other side.
Do not overcook your fish: Grilling can easily dry out the fish. Cook fish over a medium heat and estimate 8 minutes total cooking time per inch of thickness for steaks and fillets and no longer than 10 - 25 minutes for whole fish, depending on the thickness. Start checking to see if your fish is done 2 minutes before the estimated time. Your fish should still be a tad translucent in the center when you remove it from the heat even if you prefer your fish well-done. The fish will continue to cook once it has been removed, so make sure not to overcook it. To check whole fish, DO NOT dig into its thickest part with a fork. DO NOT cut it open with a knife. I have heard tons of cooks and chefs give this advice... It’s wrong! Anyway, If cooking steaks and fillets, when the flesh looks opaque, the fish is done. To check whole fish, lift the fish (if using a hinged basket) and hold it with its mouth facing downwards, their will be some juices that come out of your fish, it these juices are white (not red or pink) your fish is done. Do not cut, or tear the fish trying to look at it: Do you cut steak to see the inside? Steaks 200 - 225g (7 -8oz) 4 mins per side, Fillets 2,5 cm ( 1in) thick, 4 - 5 mins per side, Kebabs 4 - 6 mins, whole fish 275 - 300g (10 -12oz) 5 -6 mins per side, whole fish 1,5kg (3lbs) 12-13 mins per side... Prawns and scallops are perfect after 2-3 mins per side. Lobsters will be PERFECT after 7 mins total grilling time, you can’t burn lobster, the bright red color is a give away, it’s telling you that I am cooked...! Butter is heaven on earth with lobster…
Remove the fish with a fork and a spatula: To remove the fish from the grill, dislodge it with a fork like you do when turning it. Then lift one side of fillet or whole fish barely off the grill, slip a spatula underneath, and lift the fish off the grill.
I recommend using a hinged wire grill basket, it's the best for cooking whole fish, It also works well for fillets of tender fish such as perch, snapper, catfish or flounder. If you insist on using a marinade, allow fish to soak up flavor for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Refrigerate while soaking in marinade. If you are going to use the left over marinade as a sauce on top of the cooked fish or seafood, make sure that the marinade liquid is brought to the boil and cooked by itself for at least 10 minutes to cook out any bacteria that may be there from when the fish was soaking. To grill seafood 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.

To get a diamond pattern on grilled fish:

People seem to like the diamond patterns on their food that they see in restaurants, it's easy. Here's how to do it. PRIOR to starting the grill. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil on a paper towel and lightly coat the grill rack, as said before, this will help from having the fish stick to your rack. (It's not too smart or safe to get your hand close enough to do this, so use your tongs please) Preheat the grill to medium-high. Brush or pat both sides of the fish lightly with a few drops of olive oil. Cook without turning on first side for 2 to 3 minutes. Rotate fish 45-degrees on the grill (a one-quarter turn). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Flip fish to other side and finish cooking time. This method can be applied for meats and poultry as well... That’s my blog for today, till next time, happy grilling and be safe.

Take Care,
George