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However, we are going to drill down and focus on grilling fish on the skin side.  You’ve picked up some nice salmon fillets with the skin on from your local fish market; guess what, that’s the hard part.  That’s right, picking a good fish is more difficult than grilling it.  Let me show you how easy it is.

1.  Direct medium-high heat on a covered grill. Set up you charcoal or gas grill to produce a medium-high heat level.  Make sure your grate is clean, and rub a bit of olive or canola oil on it. The cleanliness and oil will help prevent the fish from sticking.

2.  Brush the skin side of the fish fillet with oil. A bit of olive or canola oil brushed on the skin side with help to prevent sticking.  A bit of melted butter will work too.

3.  Place the fish fillet skin side down over the heat source and cover. Grilling fish directly over the heat source will crisp up the skin and also help with sticking.  Grilling the fish covered will cooking it evenly top through bottom.

4.  Check on the fish periodically, but don’t ever flip it. Grilling fish this way requires no flipping, but you do need to check on it.  Check to see that the skin is crisping, but not burning.  You can do this by lifting the corner of the fish fillet with a spatula.  If the skin is starting to burn, fold up a piece of aluminum foil and slide it under the fish fillet.

5.  The fish will be done in 10 – 15 minutes. It doesn’t take long to grill fish on the skin.

See, I told you it’s easy.  Get out there and try it.  I personally love to grill salmon fillets this way.  It is so quick, easy and delicious.  And just think of the glazes you could also add.  There are a lot of options for experimenting with grilled fish.

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Grilling planks are made from a variety of woods, and impart unique aromas and flavors to the food. A number of different woods are used to make grilling planks. The most common is cedar, but you can use alder, oak, apple, cherry, hickory, and many others.

You can find grilling planks at grilling and cooking specialty shops, or you can make your own. When making your own, be sure the wood you purchase is untreated. Some wood at the lumber store are treated with chemicals that would be unsafe to cook on. Cut the lumber to be 1/2-1″ thick and 12×8″ wide.

Using Grilling Planks

Soak the grilling plank in water.  Place something heavy on the planks to hold them under the water.  The planks are soaked so they will not catch fire when on the grill.  We only want the plank to smolder, not to burn.  The smoldering creates the smoke that adds the aromas and flavors to the food.

Softwoods such as cedar need to be soaked around 2-4 hours.

Hardwoods such as maple and oak need to be soaked up to 24 hours.

For an even more unique flavor and aroma, try soaking the planks in wines, juices, or beer.

Heat the Plank

Place the plank on the grill over direct heat.  Toast both sides of the grilling plank if it is the first use of that plank.  Between 5-10 minutes of toasting should be sufficient.  You will hear the plank start to crackle.

Place the Food on the Plank

Lightly brush the plank with a bit of olive or canola oil, this will help prevent any sticking.  Place the food on the grilling plank and close the lid.  The grill will start smoking.  Keep a spray bottle of water close by to spray the plank if it should catch fire.  You want the plank to smolder, not to catch fire.

There is no need to flip the food that is on the grilling plank because it is cooking indirectly.

Removing the Food

Remove the food and the plank together and set on a heat resistant surface.  You can serve the food straight off the plank for a nice visual appeal or remove and place on plates.

Planks can be Reused

You can use grilling planks several times.  Once they start cracking or are too charred they need to be replaced.  Clean your grilling planks with warm, soapy water after each use and thoroughly dry them.

Grilling planks are a wonderful way to add the smoky flavors and aromas to your food.  You can grill a variety of items on grilling planks from your popular fish to meats and poultry.  There are so many different types of wood to experiment with, and with the ease of use, you’ll want to try them all.

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Image by mccun934

The 5 Essentials for Grilling Perfect Fish

Choose the right fish

You can grill any type of fish, but what really matters is how you plan on grilling your fish.  If you want to grill your fish directly on the grate, certain fish are better for that.  Thick steaks such as salmon, tuna, and swordfish can be placed directly on the grill.  Or thick fillets such as cod, tuna, and salmon work good too.  If you want to grill a whole fish such as red snapper, salmon, and trout you can place them directly on the grate with no problem.  What you need to watch out for is the tender fillets, such as halibut, flounder, and catfish.  You will need a different approach when grilling these, as they would most likely crumble and fall through the grate.  With tender fillets, I suggest placing them on foil with the sides turned up.

If you’re uncertain what to look for in a good quality fish, check out 6 Tip on How to Purchase the Best Fish.  You need to pick up a quality fish, to make a quality meal.

Cleanliness

You need to have a clean grill or the fish will stick.  Use a good brass bristle brush on the grate until it shines clean again.  This is an often overlooked item; don’t forget it.  Once the grate is clean rub on a bit of olive or canola oil, this will also help prevent sticking.

Heat

You need high direct heat when cooking fish.  Again this will help with sticking.  Make sure before you place the fish on the grill that it is hot already.  If it isn’t hot when you place your fish on the grill, the chances are the fish will stick and crumble when you flip it or try to take it off.

Grilling the fish

If you decided to marinade your fish, you must wipe it off prior to putting it on the grill, otherwise it will stick.  Prior to putting the fish on the grill wipe it dry and apply a bit of olive oil.  Even if you marinade your fish wipe off the marinade, and apply a bit of olive oil.  Again this is for sticking.

Now some of you might find this odd or backwards, but place your fillets on the grill skin side up first.  I have found that the fish will flip easier when doing it this way, and also you will have the nice looking grill marks.

Flip your fish once and only once.  Gently use a spatula to flip your fish.  If you followed all the above so far your fish should turn without sticking.

Doneness

It is not going to take your fish long to cook, unless you have a larger whole fish on the grill.  A general guideline to follow is to cook the fish 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness.  So, your thinner fillets are not going to take much time, so watch them.  You can visually tell when your fish is done by looking at the flesh.  The flesh will be opaque through the thickest part but still moist when it is finished.

Preventing sticking and timing are the most important factors when cooking fish.  If you followed the tips above it should lessen the odds of your fish sticking.  Also keep and eye on your fish, it will cook quickly.  No one likes an overcooked, dried out fish.

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Image by BohPhoto

6 Tips on How to Purchase the Best Fish

1. Purchase your fish from a place that has high turnover.  In some areas you may not have access to fresh fish, but if at all possible go to a busy local fish market.
2. No matter where you purchase your fish from, be it your local supermarket or local fish market, always ask if the fish in question is fresh or has previously been frozen.  This will help you gauge freshness.
3. What to look for in a whole fresh fish:
   1. The eyes should be clear.  Cloudy, dull, sunken eyes are a sign of an old fish.
   2. Check out the gills, they should red, not a brownish color which is a sign of age.
   3. The skin should be shiny.  And if at all possible touch the fish.  When touched the flesh should spring back.  If you still see your finger mark, stay away from that fish.
   4. Check the odor.  It should have a fresh, ocean-like smell.  If it smells “fishy”, then the fish is getting old.
4. What to look for in fish fillets or steaks:
   1. It should have moist flesh.
   2. It should have an even color, with no dark or dry spots.
   3. It should have shiny skin, and the flesh should spring back when touched.
   4. And again the odor should be fresh, not “fishy.”
5. What to look for in frozen fish:
   1. Look at the packaging.  The packaging should not be damaged in anyway.  Make sure that the plastic wrapping has no holes and completely covers the fish.
   2. Examine the fish.  There should be no blood, or discoloration of the flesh.
   3. Make sure there are no ice crystals forming in the package.  Also check for freezer burn, which will be a cottony looking discoloration.
6. If at all possible eat your fresh fish the same day.  If you are unable to prepare the fish that day, you can store it in your refrigerator for a day or two.  Wrap the fish in plastic and place on ice, making sure that the melting ice drains away from the fish.

With these tips you are now prepared to go out and purchase fish like a pro.  Now that you’re an expert fish buyer, the next thing to learn is how to best prepare these fish on the grill.

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• How to use a Grilling Plank
• The 5 Essentials for Grilling Perfect Fish
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