by Amanda Dcosta

Created on: May 27, 2009   Last Updated: February 18, 2011

How To Grill Fish

Fish is one of the most easiest of food items to grill, besides being one of the healthiest too. A good fish grill is dependent on how fresh the fish is, they type of fish, the bone structure and the fat content of the fish. However, irrespective of these criteria, grilling is one of the best ways to cook fish resulting in a very flavorful, juicy fish grill.

Grill and fish go hand in hand. They are like two peas in a pod. It is like fish is made for grilling or the grill is made for the fish. Nothing can be more compatible than these two.

To cook fish on a grill, there are a few basic points to understand. First of all, fish cooks very fast. If over high heat, it can cook fast and still be juicy and tasty. Secondly, the grill should either be non-stick or brushed over with oil.

It takes hardly any time to make grilled fish. Fish cooks fast and thus is most ideal done just before being eaten. It can be cooked at short notice and even after a tired work routine.

To begin, marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes. Fish can be marinated and stored in air tight containers in the freezer, preferably in exact quantities you may want to use, so that the entire content need not be thawed. The fish may also be kept in the chill tray below the freezer. Use as and when necessary. An ideal grill would be fish marinated for one hour.

To marinate the fish, sometimes just a little pepper, salt and lime juice is more than enough. Some might want to have it spicy, so for that, mix the fish with enough salt to taste, a little chili powder, a little turmeric powder and a teaspoon of vinegar. This is more of the Asian style of marinade. For a more western taste, marinate the fish in salt, pepper, little mustard powder or paste and soya sauce along with a dash of lime juice.

Heat the grill, place the fish on the grill and cook each side on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes. The flesh should not be transparent and should turn more white or opaque. Flesh of cooked fish turn flaky and can be checked with a fork. Do not over do the fish. It will tend to lose its moisture after a certain level of cooking. Turn the fish over and cook the next side. This should be done sooner as most of the fish would be cooking already. Make sure the fish is uniformly done. To ensure this, check the size of the fish during the initial stages of marinade preparation.

For whole fish, or fish with a central bone, the fish would grill easily. But when grilling a fillet or fish steak, the meat tends to fall apart while cooking. To ensure that it is intact, add a little oil to the fish or to the grill before placing the fish on the grill. The fish should be cooked till it is a little over done and can be turned crisp without falling apart being floppy.

Adding lime juice or butter or both during the grilling process can make your fish smell and taste appetizing. Avoid the butter if you do not want it to burn your fish or if you are health conscious.

Serving suggestions: Place the grill fish on a platter and decorate it with chopped coriander leaves / chopped spring onions / lime wedges / onion rings or slices and or tomato wedges.

Bon appetit!

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