Recipes

I CAUGHT A LOT OF FISH, WHAT NOW ?

Fish Cooking Tips from George Rogers

How long should I cook my fish on the grill?
That, of course, depends on the type of fish and the method of preparation you choose.  Here are some guidelines for several commonly prepared seafood items. 

• Cook fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit
• Cook stuffed fish to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use an instant-read thermometer, inserting it into the thickest part of the fish to determine internal temperature. 
• Check for visual signs that the fish is done.  Bright-red raw king salmon meat will turn orange-red when fully cooked.
Check the interior of the seafood just a few minutes before you expect it to be done.  Use a thin-blade knife to peek between the layers of flesh. 
When it’s cooked, your knife should meet no resistance.  Generally, the flesh is no longer transparent, but rather opaque. 
• Check for signs that the fish is done by touching it.  Press lightly with your spatula, for example, on a salmon fillet.  Through experience, you will learn to distinguish the feel of cooked fish (firm) from raw fish (bouncy).  Note that tuna, swordfish, marlin, and shark are all exceptions.  When raw, their meat is naturally firm, so monitoring their internal temperature with a thermometer is very important when grilling them. 
• Measure fish at its thickest point. If fish is stuffed or rolled, include the filling in your measurement.
• Cook fish about ten minutes per inch of thickness. For example, a one-inch thick fillet should be cooked for ten minutes total.  Remember, this is just an estimate.  Seafood will be perfectly cooked when the flesh in the center has just begun to turn from transparent to opaque and is firm but moist.  It should flake when tested with a fork. 
• Thoroughly cook anything that comes in contact with raw seafood or seafood juices.
• Cook thinner parts of a fish (tail) over less direct heat and move to more direct heat as the rest of the fish cooks.

Should I grill fish with direct or indirect heat?
That depends, really, on which fish you are grilling, and how you are preparing it.  Direct heat grilling, where the foods being grilled are placed directly over the hot coals or burners of a grill, is well-suited to recipes calling for seared fish, or for grilling small or thin food items that take less than 25 minutes to cook.  Fish fillets or kabobs are examples.

Indirect heat grilling, which cooks foods by reflected heat (similar to roasting in an oven), is used for large items of food that require long, slow, even grilling.  Whole salmon, thicker cuts of fish (tuna steaks), and/or fish being cooked with smoking wood, usually require indirect heat grilling. 

How do I impart a smoky flavor to my grilled seafood?
This can be accomplished in many ways.  Simply cooking seafood on a grill contributes some flavor in the form of smoke that rises when fat and juices drip into the fire.  This is especially true when you use natural hard wood charcoal for your fuel.  Adding wood chips or dried herbs to the fire will impart an even smokier flavor to your grilled sea foods. 

Alder and apple wood deliver a rich sweet flavor to grilled fish, Mesquite and hickory deliver robust and earthy overtones, while pecan and cherry wood delivers strong fruity flavors.  Woody herbs such as rosemary, oregano, and thyme contribute their familiar flavors. 

Wood chips and herbs can be added dry to a fire, but are more frequently soaked in water for 30 minutes—two hours before being drained and added to the fire to intensify the flavor.  The moisture they absorb helps to carry the smoke. 

With charcoal grills, you can simply add the aromatic additions directly to the coals while the food cooks (near the end of cooking for most seafood provides ample smoke without dominating the flavor), or just prior to placing the food on the grill rack for a very smoky flavor. 

With gas grills, you’ll need a small vented metal smoker box in which to place the soaked wood chips.  This box is then placed directly on the lava rocks or ceramic briquettes keeping it as close to flame as possible.  Using a smoker box will prevent the small chunks and flakes of aromatics from clogging the fuel ports on your grill. 

I always seem to ruin my grilled fish when turning it, what’s the trick?
First, you should know that turning your fish isn’t always necessary, especially when cooking using indirect heat, or when cooking fish on a wood plank, as is often done with grilled salmon. 

When you are cooking fish in excess of 1/2 inch in thickness, turning is probably a good idea.  Experienced grill masters employ many tools to make turning easier.  Very lightly brushing (or spraying) vegetable oil on the fish just before laying on the grill will facilitate turning.

Grill racks with grates that are closer together, eliminating large gaps, also make for easier turning.  Wire grilling baskets are designed specifically for easy turning, especially for whole fish.  Leaving the skin on your fish will prove helpful in keeping the meat together.

Fillets are usually the most problematic to turn.  Experienced grill masters will often put the fillet meat-side down first for just a few minutes, which allows the intense heat to quickly sear the fish.   Then, with a large spatula (or two), they gently flip the fillet over skin-side down.  In so doing, they are able to turn the fish before it cooks through and gets to the delicate flaky stage. 

Easy-to-overcook shellfish should be turned after just a minute or so on the grill.  Always use tongs so as not to pierce them, which causes them to lose precious moisture. 

Cooking fish is not as difficult as many people feel it is if a few simple procedures, as outlined above, are followed