Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Prepare your work area
• Method 2 of 3: Fillet
• Method 3 of 3: Whole fish
• Tips
• Warnings

There are many easy ways to grill fish. You don't always need aluminum foil or special tools. Cleaning is also quick, because you don't have to throw anything away or wash up. With minimal prep required, you'll be a professional in no time.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Prepare your work area

1. Turn on your grill and turn up the heat. While the grill is heating up, you can cover the grill loosely with aluminum foil. The intense heat loosens and dissolves debris, cleaning the grill for you. This prevents your fish from sticking. This will take about 10-15 minutes on high heat.
   • By high heat we also mean really high heat. The pan should be about 290ºC. So it is better to cover your grill while it heats up. The heat will sear the fish. If you put it on a warm instead of a hot grill, the fish will stick.
   • If you're using a charcoal grill, the coals should be gray, not black.
2. Clean the grid. If you used aluminum foil in the previous step, remove it now. Scrape the grid clean with a sturdy wire brush. Fold a few paper towels into small squares. Hold the paper towel with tongs, dip it in the oil and rub it over the ridges of the grate.
   • Keep applying until the grid shines. Do this about five times. After each use, dip the kitchen paper back in the oil.

Method 2 of 3: Fillet

1. Choose the fillets. When choosing a fish for grilling, you first need to know how firm the fish is - how well it can withstand the torture of high heat. Fish that fall apart easily such as tongue or bone is not suitable for this. You need thicker fillets with a firm consistency such as:
   • Halibut
   • Tuna
   • Swordfish
   • Haddock
   • salmon
   • If you do choose a more delicate fish, wrap it in aluminum foil or use a fish clamp - otherwise you risk the fish falling through the grill into flames.
     • There is of course also the option that you take a whole fish and fillet it yourself.
2. Cut the fish into smaller portions. Not only are they easier to handle on the grill, but they cook more evenly - the thinner rump doesn't need to cook for as long as the thicker part of the fillet. Cut your fish into portions of the same thickness so that you are sure that you will not end up with too dry or too raw pieces.
3. Season or marinate the fish. If you have a favorite marinade, use it. Just make sure the fish is not in the marinade for more than 30 minutes - both salty and sweet marinades will negatively affect the taste of the fish if it is soaked in for too long.
   • But fish really only needs a layer of olive or coconut oil, salt and pepper. The trick is grilling - just make sure to evenly spread both sides of the fish.
4. Place the fish skin side down and diagonally on the grill. Not only does that give the professional grill marks that you always see in restaurants, but it also makes it easier to turn the fish. The general rule is to grill a fish for 8 minutes for every inch it is thick, which equates to 3 to 5 minutes per side.
   • Lower the grill, cover it and let it bake! Don't move the fish until you see the skin is seared and crispy - if you touch it, you run the risk of it falling apart. If you are not sure when to check, lift the fish slightly after a few minutes with a thin spatula. If it doesn't come off the grill easily, leave it longer and check again every 20 seconds until it releases.
5. Turn the fish over. Okay, so the fish now comes off the grid easily and has the correct color at the bottom. Time to turn it around. First of all, you need the right tool. A wide spatula with a thin flared edge works well because it is easy to tuck under the fish and because it is large enough to support the entire fillet when you turn it. To make it even easier, you can use a flexible rotary spatula, so that you can hold the fish in place while the larger spatula is underneath.
   • If there is still too much resistance when you want to turn it over, stop and wait. If you have properly cleaned and greased the grid, the fish will let you know when it wants to be turned over, because it will let go.
6. Cover the grill again, let it bake and see if it is cooked. When the fish is cooked, the flesh is firm to the touch, can easily be pulled apart with a fork and it looks completely opaque.
   • Take a fork and pull the meat apart in the center of the fillet. If the fish is opaque and a little glassy on the inside, you can remove it from the grill. If you are using a thermometer, the fish should be between 54-57 ° C at this point, and should still rise to 60 ° C while resting.

Method 3 of 3: Whole fish

1. Get whole, fresh fish from the market or fishmonger. See if the scales are shiny, if the eyes are clear, and if the gills are bright red. The real fishermen among us may not mind cleaning and gutting the fish ourselves, but it is better to leave the rest to the fishmonger.
   • You don't fry a whole fish for too long as quickly as can be the case with a fillet; the skin protects the delicate flesh from the heat and retains moisture. The bones give extra flavor. Tossing a whole fish on the grill is quick and easy and will give you juicy, tender meat with a crispy, salty skin.
2. Make cuts in the flesh. Cut deep notches 2.5 to 5 cm apart on both sides of the fish. Make a minimum of 3 to 5 cuts in the meat, perpendicular to the spine of the fish, on both sides. This will open up the inside of the fish to the heat so that it can cook evenly.
   • Make the notches a little closer to each other at the head, where the fish is the thickest, and a little further apart at the tail, where it cooks the fastest. Cut off sharp fins with kitchen scissors.
3. Put herbs in the cavities. Sprinkle some salt and pepper into the fish. With smaller fish there isn't much room for more than that, but at least you can add some lemon wedges and a few sprigs of your favorite herbs. Other herbal combinations to try include:
   • Finely chopped garlic with rosemary
   • Slices of orange and paprika
   • Slices of lime and cumin
   • Spring onion and soy sauce
   • Red onion and basil
   • Finely chopped garlic and butter
4. Coat the fish with oil. Olive oil or coconut oil are fine. The grid of your grill should already be greased, but your fish too will prevent it from sticking.
5. Heat the grill over medium heat. Wait until the grid is nice and hot before placing the fish on it. Otherwise your fish will stick. Even, medium heat is best or the skin will burn before the rest of the fish is cooked. If possible, keep the tail furthest away from the flames, as that thinner tail of the fish will cook before the rest.
6. Put the fish on it and wait. The most important step is what comes next: waiting.Resist the urge to touch and move the fish - you will tear the skin and pieces of flesh may come off. Wait 3 - 4 minutes. The fish can be turned when the skin is no longer sticking to the grid.
   • Normally, a 250 - 500 gram fish needs about 5 to 7 minutes per side. A larger fish (700 to 900 grams) should grill twice as long. Another general rule of thumb when grilling a whole fish is to take 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
7. Turn the fish over. To turn the fish, hold a spatula in your "wrong" hand and a large spatula (greased on both sides) in your right hand. Carefully turn the fish over. He should get off the grid easily. If not, don't force it. Return the fish and carefully pry it off the grid with the spatula. Make sure you don't peel off the skin or the meat doesn't stick to the grill. When you have turned the fish, let it bake for another 5-6 minutes.
   • Don't worry if the skin sticks to the grid, it can be hard to avoid altogether. It may look a little less beautiful, but it still tastes just as good.
8. Check if the fish is cooked. Stick a skewer or toothpick into the thickest part of the fish. It should go in easily. The fish is done when you can easily pull the meat apart with a fork and when the fish is completely opaque. You have to be able to get the meat off the bone easily.
   • Place the fish on a plate with some garnish and enjoy!

Tips

• Try garnishing with:
  
  Tomato and Coriander Salsa:
  2 beef tomatoes, deseeded and cut into pieces,
  2 medium red onions, finely chopped,
  Juice of 2 limes,
  2 tablespoons of honey,
  2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped,
  Salt pepper.
  
  Mix all ingredients and serve.
• If you take fillets with the skin still on, you can grill them on the skin on a greased grid. You can easily remove the skin when the fish is cooked.
• Another way to see if the fish is cooked is to insert a thin metal skewer into the thickest part of the fish, hold it in the fish for 10 seconds, then feel the end of the skewer. If it still feels cold, the fish is not cooked enough yet; when it's warm (but not hot) the fish is just right.
• Another way to flavor the fish:
  
  A. Melt a packet of unsalted butter
  B. Add two cloves of garlic and half a finely chopped onion
  C. Add your favorite herbs and some freshly ground pepper
  D. Sauté this until all flavors are mixed
• To give your fish a light smoky flavor, throw some wood shavings into the charcoal of your barbecue just before putting the fish on it. With a gas grill you can put some pieces of wood on the grill plate. If they start smoking, add the fish.
• Put the fish on a skewer or in a fish rack if you find it difficult to turn it.

Warnings

• Do not burn or overcook the fish. Fish doesn't take that long to cook, so be careful. Fish becomes very dry if you cook it for too long.