Grilled seafood can be a delightful culinary experience if done right. Many people shy away from seafood because they don’t know what to do with it. Seafood makes a tasty, healthy meal on
grill. Did you know most fish has less than half fat of beef? I would rather put a nice salmon fillet on grill any day. Grilling great seafood does takes a little practice. I’ve put together 10 tips to help you get started.1. Always start with fresh fish if possible. You will have a better grilling experience. Previously frozen fish will also work; its just harder to work with. Plan on 6-8 ounces per person for fillets and 8-12 ounces per person when buying whole fish.
2. When grilling directly on grill it is best to use a firm fleshed fish like grouper, marlin, salmon or tuna. A special fish and vegetable grid will make grilling easier. The finer mesh will help keep your food from falling through. You may even want to use a wire grill basket, especially for those more delicate fillets. This way you can turn your fish over without worrying about it breaking apart. You can even stick lemon slices between fish and basket, if you wish.
3. Always make sure your grill is clean and well-lubricated with oil to prevent your fish from sticking. Fish breaks apart easily. If it sticks to your grill, you will have nothing but little pieces to serve. I like to saturate a paper towel with cooking oil and wipe down my grill before putting my food on. I haven’t tried it yet, but PAM also has a cooking spray made just for grilling.
4. If your fish came with skin on, leave it on. Always place your fish fillet flesh side down first. This will sear flesh, locking in flavor and moisture. Turn over one-third to halfway through grilling.
5. Always grill your fish over a hot to medium-hot fire. To test this, hold your hand about 5 inches above your heat source. Your fire is hot if you can only hold it there foe about 2 seconds. 3-4 seconds would indicate a medium-hot fire. When cooking whole fish instead of fillets, you will want a slightly lower temperature as cooking time will be longer.
