The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How to grill fish like a pro - and not let it cling to grates
Experts share their tips on how to avoid a sticky situation.
Fish sticks. And that can be especially problematic when you’re cooking fillets or whole fish on a grill. If you’ve ever watched helplessly as your prized protein slips through the grate — a sacrifice to the hot coals below — you understand.
“When you’re cooking fish, whether you’re inside or outside, you’re always thinking about sticking,” said Dan Zuccarello, executive food editor for cookbooks at America’s Test Kitchen.
Grilling expert Elizabeth Karmel agrees, adding that “all protein sticks to the hot surface until it naturally releases itself when
it is cooked. Fish just happens to be less resilient, more delicate.”
Armed with a fresh fish, the right tools and a little knowledge, Karmel and Zuccarello say, anyone can become proficient a griller. Here’s how to get started.
Gather your tools
Most experts recommend the following basic equipment:
■ Long-handled tongs
■ Grill brush (Note: It is best to use a coil brush for this — one without bristles. Stray bristles from wire brushes can break off and get into food)
■ Paper towel or a soft cloth
■ One or two thin metal spatulas, such as fish spatulas
■ Instant-read thermometer and, if using a charcoal grill, an oven/grill thermometer
The next step is preparing your grill. A clean grate, free of any charred, cooked-on food is essential.
That doesn’t mean you have to scrub it back to shiny newness, said Karmel, who advises washing the grate with soap, water and a sponge, if necessary. “The more you use your grill the better seasoned it is,” she said. “If you have some nice built-up seasoning that will help prevent sticking.”
If you have the presence of mind to scrape away cooked-on residue after each use, that’s great, but Zuccarello said he’s usually too busy digging into the feast with family and friends. So, he cleans the grill before each use.
“When the grill grate is hot ... that’s the best time to clean because the warm grill grates will let go of whatever is stuck on them more easily,” he said.
“Our go-to method for a gas grill is turn all the burners on high for 15 minutes — or longer. For a charcoal, in general, once you put the hot charcoal in and then cover it, you can heat it for about 5 minutes.”
Then, he uses a grill brush to loosen stuck-on particles. If you don’t have a grill brush, you can use balled-up foil and long tongs. (Note: If your grate has lot of bits and pieces stuck on, get the grill very hot, cover it and let it sit for about a half-hour or until the grates are covered in white ash before cleaning.)
Zuccarello and Karmel disagree about the next step.
Once the grill is free of any debris, Zuccarello folds several paper towels or a cloth into a compact square and dips it in neutral oil. Then, using long-handled tongs, he vigorously wipes the grate until well oiled, repeating as needed. He oils the fish as well before grilling.
Karmel adamantly opposes oiling the grates, calling that step her “biggest pet peeve.”
“If the grill grates are hot, then you’re burning the oil immediately,” she said. “It becomes sticky like glue, so then you’re gluing your food to the cooking grate instead of keeping the juices inside while the outside gets nice and caramelized and brown.”
She recommends just oiling the fish, using olive or grapeseed oil to promote caramelization and prevent sticking.
(We tried both methods and found that, if the grill grate is properly cleaned, oiling the fish alone did the trick. But we also found that lightly oiling the grate did not cause any major issues.)
Choose a fish
If you’re new to grilling fish, experts advise starting with meaty, firm fish steaks at least a half-inch thick, such as swordfish, mahi mahi or tuna. Salmon, which is flakier, is also a good starter fish, because thicker fillets are common and it is oilier, meaning it brings its own “nonstickability,” Zuccarello said.
Start by rubbing the fish well with oil and then lightly salt and pepper. You can grill the fish steaks on direct heat until they are done to your liking. Then, add flavor tableside by serving them with an herby sauce or aioli.
Karmel and Zuccarello agree: Leaving the fish in place long enough for the exterior to caramelize will allow the fish to more easily lift off. If you must flip the fish, slide a fish spatula between the fish and the grate to check that the fish releases easily. If you feel resistance, give it 30 seconds or a minute more and try again. Turn the fish by gently pushing the fillet to roll it over.
Grill the fish longer on the first side to allow it to develop a sear. And if you are grilling with the lid closed, which is recommended, the second side will partially cook while the first side is on the grate, cutting cooking time.
For flakier fish, cooking the fish whole is safer. If you want to grill fillets, skin-on helps to lessen sticking. Place the fish fillet skin-side down, perpendicular to grates. Then, cover the grill and cook it as directed until the skin is browned and the fish releases easily when lifted with a thin, metal spatula.
Karmel almost always recommends indirect heat and a longer cooking time because she doesn’t want to dry the fish or scorch its oils.
No matter which kind of fish you get, the most important thing is that it must be fresh.
“If it smells like nothing or a little bit like salty seawater, it’s fresh,” Karmel said. If, however, it smells fishy or like ammonia, don’t buy it. Fish should have shiny skin and, if whole, clear, not cloudy eyes. Another option is to buy quick-frozen fillets, which are from fish caught and frozen immediately, she said.
Consider planks or a skillet
For an even easier method, Karmel suggests using a barrier between fish and grill.
“The way to get people to grill more and more is to ensure that their first experience is fantastic,” she said. That’s why she recommends a cedar plank. The planks, available in well-stocked grocery stores and online, must be soaked for about 30 minutes before grilling.
“Add olive oil, salt, pepper and the lemon slices on top and put it on a cedar plank,” she said. “It makes a beautiful presentation and tastes great.”
Other barriers she recommends include foil, banana leaves, green corn husks, citrus slices — even bacon.
Zuccarello prefers grilling directly on the grate, but for really thin fish fillets, he will pull out a cast-iron skillet, add a bit of oil and heat it on the grill so he can cook the fish just as he would on the stovetop.
To add smokiness, he adds a wood chip packet. After soaking the chips in water for about 20 minutes, he puts them on a 10- by 12-inch piece of foil and folds it to make a 3- by 6-inch bundle.
He cuts three slices on the top of the packet and puts it on the charcoal or directly atop the burner. As the chips heat, they release smoke.
Both Zuccarello and Karmel eschew grilling baskets for fish: “You’re going to have just as much possibility of sticking on the basket that you do with the grill grate,” Zuccarello said.
How to tell if it’s done
Generally, fish should have an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees, and the flesh should be opaque and flake easily with a fork, according to Foodsafety.gov.
“You will become a better cook the minute you buy an instant-read thermometer,” Zuccarello said, noting that using one means not lifting or cutting the fish or relying on visual cues, such as noticing if the fish is beginning to flake and lose its translucency.
If you don’t have one, “there are a lot of visual clues,” Karmel said. “For example, salmon completely changes its color — all fish does. It goes from a transparent color to more of an opaque color when it is done. With salmon, the collagen strips turn white.”
She also recommends doing a finger test to see if the fish feels firmer than it did when it was raw.