Grilling: Fish

Cedar-Planked Salmon

In this story: Keeping it together Soaking up the flavors Using cedar RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Randall H. Harber
CNN News Editor

When it comes to fish, a lot of grillers suddenly become timid. There is, however, no reason to fear grilling fish and other seafood. In fact, fish steaks are among the easiest items to grill, particularly if you have a hinged grill rack for fish.

The key thing to remember is that a fish is mostly muscle. It has to be to propel itself through the water. That means there is usually very little fat and the flesh can easily dry out.

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As with other meats that dry out quickly -- such as chicken or pork -- it's best to use a marinade to add moisture to the fish.

The good news is that a long marinade isn't necessary.

In fact, many ingredients commonly used in marinades -- such as vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice or orange juice -- will actually begin to "cook" the fish if left too long. When you cook anything, you are "setting" or hardening protein in the muscle cells. Usually that's done with heat, but you can also "set" proteins chemically using the acids in the fruit juices. Bottom line, leaving fish steaks in a marinade for 15 minutes up to a half-hour is as long as you typically need.

Then there is the problem of fish breaking up. Most firm-fleshed fish -- sea bass, halibut, red snapper or salmon -- will not break up easily unless they are overcooked.

Often the problem is one that seems to afflict grillers cooking all types of meats -- they want to turn the fish too much. Typically, a halibut steak for example should be grilled directly by placing the steak on a oiled grate, skin side down over medium heat. Then leave it.

For a 1-inch thick steak, about five minutes will cook it almost through. Turn the fish steak once. Let it finish by grilling for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Remember Julia Child's famous admonition -- a fish that actually flakes is overdone. Cook it until the fish is about to flake but still offers some resistance to your fork. By this point the fish steak is not undercooked, and once on a plate, it should be perfect.

Hinged grill baskets can help by keeping the fish off the grill grate itself and allowing you to easily turn the fish steak.

Tuna steaks, cooked with grill marks on the outside and rare on the inside, can be grilled just like a beefsteak over direct heat. Tuna will dry out if overcooked, but remember to oil the rack, give a 1 1/2 inch thick steak about three minutes on each side over a medium fire.

If one of your guests insists on well-done tuna, cook a 1 1/2 inch steak about 8 minutes total. The inside should be gray throughout but some moisture will still be there.

If you have used wood chips to create smoke, the tuna and many other fish will pick up the flavor. The tuna steak can be marinated in advance or simply grilled and then served with a sauce or wedges of lemon or lime.

If you soak any of your favorite herbs in water and then throw them on the coals, the result will be aromatic smoke. Fish drinks this stuff up, adding a tremendous smoky flavor.

In Provence, the locals like to use dried cuttings from their grapevines. Other possibilities are springs of rosemary or fronds cut from a fennel bulb. The fennel bulb itself can be cut into thin slices, coated with olive oil and grilled along side the fish.

Cooking a whole fish takes a bit longer but is no more difficult. Black sea bass, pompano, or red snapper are ideal for grilling whole.

Have your fishmonger gut and scale the fish but leave the fins and head on. Along each side of the fish, cut three diagonal gashes down to the bone. These gashes allow the marinade to penetrate deeper into the flesh, plus the heat can also penetrate, cutting the cooking time.

Rinse the fish inside and out. Then season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the fish cavity with lemon slices and dill sprigs. Rub the exterior of the fish with olive oil.

Put the fish onto an oiled grate or in a hinged basket over medium heat. Grill until the skin darkens on the first side -- about 10 to 15 minutes -- then turn the fish and grill another 10 to 15 minutes. The fish is done when you press against it and the flesh begins to break up.

For a party with 8 to 10 guests, you might want to consider a "Cedar-Planked Salmon fillet." In this recipe, an untreated cedar board is soaked in water. A basting sauce of white wine, lemon juice and dill weed is mixed up and spread on the 2 1/2 to 3 pound salmon fillet. The fillet is placed skin side down on the cedar board and then the board is placed directly on the grill grate over high heat. In about 30 to 40 minutes the fillet will have reached about 125 degrees Fahrenheit and come just opaque at the thickest part. The board will char but won't catch fire.

Other woods such as alder or oak can be used. Just make sure the board has not been chemically treated and soak it for at least an hour or longer.

With any of these fish dishes, a bevy of white wines would do well. For really smoky dishes, an oaken Chardonnay from California would be perfect. High acid wines such as a Pinot Grigio or Orvieto from Italy offer a nice contrast to more oily fish like salmon. In the middle would be a fruity, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc from France, South Africa or New Zealand.

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August 25, 2000
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May 26, 1999

Meat Cuts Manual
The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen
Workman Publishing
The Lyons Press
Ten Speed Press, Celestial Arts and Tricycle Press
Chronicle Books
Beef.Org
EatChicken.com
National Shellfisheries Association
National Pork Producers Council
US FDA/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)

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