Nothing tastes quite as good as barbecued fish and seafood. No other cooking method brings out the best flavor in a fish dish like barbecuing. In this case, I’m referring to the cooking method, as opposed to the entree, which is often beef, pork, or less frequently, chicken, usually drowned in smoky sauces. The actual meaning of “barbecue” comes from a Caribbean Native American word, barbacoa, which refers to cooking meat on a grill and also smoking it. Fish and most seafood can easily be cooked on a grill and/or smoked once you know how. And once you learn, you won’t want your fish any other way.
Before we get into the actual cooking, remember that, as with any good culinary creation, the quality of your finished product depends on what happens long before the entree gets anywhere near the fire. How the catch is handled—from the moment it leaves the water to when it hits the grill—will determine the quality of your cooking. If you’re catching your own fish, keep them alive until you’re ready to clean them. Discard any dead fish. Also, examine each fish for anything that looks unusual, such as growths, spots, or blemishes. If you find any, release those fish. Fish kept in a floating fish basket in the water live longer and stay in better shape than those placed on a stringer or in a live box.
How you clean the fish will depend on the type of fish and how you plan to cook it. Small pan-fish, trout, and small catfish can be cooked whole. Simply scale them (yes, even catfish have a layer of mucus on their skin, so scaling is necessary), remove the entrails and gills, rinse the body cavity well with clean fresh water, and get them on ice as soon as possible. Leaving the head on helps prevent the fish from drying out during cooking. You can always remove the head after cooking if you’re squeamish. This is called “market-ready” or whole fish. The next method is similar, but you also cut off the head just behind the gills, along with the tail and fins. This is called “pan-dressed.” Another method, especially suitable for large, thick-bodied fish, is to dress it as a whole fish, then cut it into 2-inch thick sections, called “steaks.” The last method is to remove the sides of the fish, cutting the meat free from the bones on each side, giving you two long pieces of meat. This is called a “fillet.” All of these methods can be done with the skin on or off, but leaving the skin on during cooking helps hold the fish together and prevents drying out—except in the case of snook. Snook should always be skinned, or the meat will taste like soap. A few other exceptions are that carp, striped bass, and dorado (mahi mahi) have a dark red strip of meat running along the lateral line, which must be removed, as it can make you sick. Additionally, carp, pike, and a few other fish have a unique bone structure that requires special handling. Be sure you know how to handle these fish properly before serving them to someone who might choke on a bone. Regardless of how you dress your fish, get them on ice or in a cooler as quickly as possible. If you’re not using them right away, get them in the freezer (preferably a deep-freeze at 0°F) as quickly as possible. Once a fish is dead, every second counts if you want to preserve its optimum quality.
If you’re selecting fish from the market, for whole fish, look at the eyes and the gills. The eyes should be clear, not cloudy, and the gills should be bright red. If either of these is not the case, the fish is not fresh—don’t buy it. Frozen fish should still exhibit good coloration and markings.
Grilling Your Fish: Key Tips for Perfect Barbecue
The best way to barbecue fish is… gently and carefully. When you’re ready to cook, there are just a few guidelines to follow:
- First, make sure your grills are absolutely clean, or the fish will stick and get ruined. Spray the grates well with non-stick cooking spray.
- Next, make sure your coals are white and very hot. Don’t rush putting the fish on.
- Use a fish grill basket to cook the fish so that there is no danger of it breaking apart when you turn it over. Alternatively, you can wrap the fish in foil, but it won’t be as good.
- Shrimp, shelled scallops, and clams are best cooked on wooden skewers. Crabs, oysters, conchs, and unshelled shellfish can be thrown on the grill whole.
- Fish cooks very quickly on a grill. Usually, 2 or 3 minutes per side is plenty. Make sure one side is seared well before turning the fish. Only turn the fish once during cooking. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Shellfish are done when they firm up slightly. A little underdone is better than overdone.
- You can marinate, but don’t salt any fish during cooking, as it will dry it out.
- Don’t be afraid to throw some hickory, mesquite, or pecan wood chips on the fire. You’ll be amazed at how quickly fish absorbs the flavor.
- Most fish don’t require a lot of seasoning. Simply brush them with a little butter, wine, and garlic, and that’s usually enough. Under-seasoning is better than overdoing it.
Just remember, fish does not respond well to rough handling, poking, or prodding. When grilling fish, less is more. Barbecuing fish may seem intimidating at first, but with a little practice, you’ll quickly join the ranks of Grillmasters.
