Tips for Grilling Fish

Choosing the Right Fish

It is important to know that some fish will actually cook better than others on the grill. There are two categories in this case, and these are thick steaks and tender fillets. Thick steaks, which include swordfish, tune, salmon, mahi-mahi, red snapper, bluefish, striped bass and trout work very well on a grill. With tender fillets, you'd have to be a bit more cautious, because they are likely to break apart and fall through the grate. However, you can cook tender fillets in a foil pouch or utilizing a wire fish basket.

Preparing the Grill

Always begin cooking with a clean grill. If the grill is dirty, the fish will likely stick to the grate. Employ a grill brush to scrub off debris from the grate and place over the heat. Once the grill is heated, brush again to completely release sticky matter from the surface. Now you can preheat the grill. You'll want to preheat your grill to medium heat. Do not make the grill too hot. If you're a beginner, utilize charcoal briquettes instead of hardwood charcoals, which tend to burn hotter and at varying rates because of their asymmetrical shapes. Carefully, oil the grate by dipping a washcloth in cooking oil and using tongs to move it around on the surface.

Marinating

Always season your fish appropriately prior to cooking. The more delicate fish should be marinated no more than 10 minutes since the acid in the marinade can actually cook the fish and make the texture mushy. It would be ideal to sprinkle dry seasonings on to this variety of fish. Thicker fish on the other hand can be marinated for up to 20 minutes. Try to make the marinades simple. For instance, for every one pound of fish, simply mix juice of one lemon and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of dried dill, and salt and black pepper to taste. Strong marinades can overpower the natural flavor of the fish and the smoky flavor imparted from grilling.

Grilling Time

The key is to cook fish 8 minutes for every inch of thickness, or 10 minutes for every inch if you're going to cook whole fish. Check on the fish a couple of minutes before you think it should be cooked, taking note that fish continues to cook for a few minutes after being removed from the heat. Glaze only after a short sear on each side of the fish. First grill it plain, without the glaze, at a very high temperature for a couple of minutes on each side. Next, decrease the heat to the lowest setting and brush the fish with glaze. Continue grilling on each side until cooked.

Utilize a broiler fork to flake open a portion of the fish to check if it's already cooked. If the inner part of the fish is opaque all the way through, then you're done. Do not wait until the fish goes rubbery and dry. Take it off the grill as soon as it is cooked.