Fish on grill goes swimmingly with help from gadgets
Easter Recipe
When it comes to a backyard cookout, it's hard to beat a quick-seared steak or a juicy burger. Sometimes, though, you need a little variety to liven things up; man and woman cannot live on beef alone.
That's where seafood comes in, making for a refreshing change of pace, whether it's for a Fourth of July cookout, an informal family picnic or a dinner party on the deck for friends. Unlike beef and even chicken, fish pairs especially well with the fresh herbs, citrus flavors and white wines that fit so well with summertime entertaining.
But while we love the taste of smoky salmon fillets, tender tuna steaks and mouthwatering mountain trout, it can be a struggle to keep even the sturdiest piece of fish from sticking and crumbling on the grill. With a few low-tech, inexpensive tools available for under $20 at home goods and hardware stores, however, grilling fish and shellfish is easy and delicious.
One of the simplest pieces of equipment is a fish basket, which can be purchased for about $10 and keeps delicate fish such as trout from directly touching the cooking grate (and, potentially, sticking to it no matter how well you've oiled the grate and the fish). Fish stuffed with herbs, lemons, limes and other fillings also tend to stay held together better in the basket.
One of the most versatile kitchen implements you can own in your quest for delicious fish is a cast-iron pan, which makes it easy to cook shellfish, such as mussels and clams, in butter and wine for a simple, light dinner or first course.
Cast-iron pans will last you a lifetime, can be used to make a variety of grilled, fried and baked dishes, and often can be purchased for $20 or less. Clean-up is easy: wipe with a damp rag.
Another essential tool of cooking seafood is a cedar plank, which is soaked for several hours before you place fish fillets, fish steaks or whole fish on it and then is placed directly on the grill. The moisture from the plank keeps the fish incredibly tender while also protecting it from the flames, and the cedar gives the fish a sweet, smoky, spicy flavor. Another benefit? No need to flip the fish and risk mangling it. Cedar planks are also great for grilling beef, pork and chicken dishes with or without marinades, rubs or barbecue sauces. They are available in packs of two or three for about $5, and usually can be reused several times.
WHOLE SMOKE-GRILLED MOUNTAIN TROUT
The smoky, herbaceous flavors of this dish will remind you of your last mountain-camping trip. While the recipe calls for applewood smoking chips, you can also use mesquite chips in the smoker box or foil packet (for gas grills) or thrown in with the coals of your charcoal grill. Also, this recipe couldn't be simpler to prepare streamside, if you're lucky enough to land a trout of your own. Just substitute a little olive oil for the mayonnaise coating on the skin of the fish _ it will give the recipe a different flavor, of course, but serve the same purpose of keeping the fish from sticking to the cooking grate.
4 small whole rainbow, golden or mountain trout, scaled and gutted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 sprigs fresh thyme
8 sprigs fresh oregano
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 lemon slices, 1/4-inch thick
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (optional)
Applewood or mesquite smoking chips
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Coat the outside of each trout with mayonnaise. In the body cavity of each fish, stuff 2 thyme sprigs, 2 oregano sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig and 2 lemon slices. Add a little garlic if you like. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
Light a charcoal fire or preheat your gas grill on high. Oil your grill's cooking grate (or inside of a fish basket, if using). When the coals are almost ready or the gas is close to preheating, add the smoking chips and cover (or for gas grill, add chips to smoker box or foil pouch with holes punched in it). Wait until a good head of smoke is obvious, then add trout. Cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes each side, depending on thickness of trout (use the 10-minute-per-inch rule as a guide).
Remove trout from heat to a platter and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with drizzle of first-rate extra-virgin olive oil.
Serves 4.
_ "The Big Book of Fish & Shellfish," by Fred Thompson
SWEET & SPICY GRILLED FLORIBBEAN CEDAR-PLANKED SALMON
Break out of your dill-sauce rut with this zesty, Caribbean-style salmon recipe. The fish is cooked on cedar planks that have been soaked for several hours, then placed directly on your gas or charcoal grill. Moisture from the planks keeps the salmon tender and moist (and keeps you from having to flip and potentially mangle the fish), and the cedar gives the fish a slightly smoky, spicy flavor.
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you like more heat)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Zest of one small orange
Zest of one lemon
Approximately 6 tablespoons honey mustard
Approximately 1-1/2 pounds of salmon fillets with skin on
1 untreated cedar plank large enough to hold fillets
Olive oil
Chopped fresh cilantro, basil and mint (optional, for garnish)
Combine first nine ingredients in small bowl. Cut salmon into 4 6-ounce fillets or 6 4-ounce fillets, as desired.
Brush honey mustard on each filet and place in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle fillets evenly with sugar-and-spice mixture and pat lightly to adhere mixture. Allow to marinate 2 to 6 hours in refrigerator.
While salmon marinates, soak cedar plank fully submerged in water for at least 4 hours.
When ready to grill, preheat grill on high for approximately 10 minutes. Place cedar plank on grill and allow it to get hot and start smoking.
Brush top side of plank liberally with olive oil and place fillets, skin side down, on plank. Turn one side of grill down to medium heat and move cedar plank to that side of grill. Keep other side of grill on high heat.
Close lid and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until fillets are cooked through and flake easily. While fillets are cooking, peek under lid occasionally to be sure planks have not caught on fire.
If planks start to flame, put flames out with a squirt bottle of water and reduce heat if necessary to avoid flare-ups.
For a dramatic effect, serve fish directly on planks and garnish liberally with chopped fresh herbs.
Serves 4 to 6.
_ Chef Carla O'Donnell, Culinary Capers Personal Chef Services
GRILL-ROASTED MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE & SHALLOTS
This dish makes an exciting presentation for guests, and if you're using a charcoal grill it will pick up smoky undertones in addition to the briny flavor of the mussels, the rich taste of the wine and the fresh taste of the herbs. You will need a 12-inch cast-iron skillet for this recipe.
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 pounds natural or farm-raised mussels
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup full-bodied dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
Toasted French bread for serving, optional
Chop shallots, garlic and parsley. Clean the mussels by pulling off beards and scrubbing shells with a sturdy brush under running water. If they are natural, not farm-raised mussels, they should be soaked for 30 to 60 minutes in a solution of 2 tablespoons salt to 8 cups cold water to encourage them to expel sand and grit. Repeat if a lot of grit collects in the bowl. Discard any mussels whose shells are cracked or that fail to close to the touch.
About 20 minutes before you start cooking, preheat grill for direct grilling over high heat.
In a 12-inch cast-iron frying pan, heat olive oil on stovetop over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until shallots soften and garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add wine and pepper and bring to boil over high heat. Carefully add mussels to frying pan.
Place frying pan on very hot grill and cook, covered, by stirring mussels occasionally with tongs, until the shells open, about 5 minutes.
Transfer mussels to warmed bowls, discarding any mussels that failed to open and leaving cooking liquid in pan. Add parsley and butter to liquid and whisk continuously until butter melts and sauce starts to thicken and come together. Spoon sauce over mussels and serve right away with toasted bread.
Makes 2 main-course or 4 first-course servings.
_ "Mastering Grilling," by Rick Rodgers
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette food editor Amy McConnell Schaarsmith can be reached at aschaarsmith(at)post-gazette.com.)
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