July Newsletter, 2002
Cooking Class....Grilling
Fish....Let's talk about this
aluminum foil thing.
If you wrap your food in foil to grill it....you are not grilling...you are
steaming. There isn't anything wrong with it....it's just not grilling.
There are plenty of good uses for foil. Steaming your food is just one of them. Granted you may be placing your foil wrapped food on the grill, but because steam is being produced to cook the food it doesn't matter where the heat source is coming from. In other words, you can use foil when you grill, but you don't want an airtight wrap. Long before aluminum foil made it as a staple in the modern kitchen, food was wrapped in plenty of things....leaves being a prime candidate. Depending on your section of the world this could be grape leaves, banana leaves, corn husks, etc.
Easiest enough for me, I just walk two doors down and permanently borrow some of my neighbor's grape leaves. Cornhusks are plentiful this time of the year and when we get into the colder months, grapes leaves can be purchased in jars at most grocery stores.
What makes this different? Leaves don't form an airtight seal; therefore, foods develop that grill flavor that you won't get with an airtight package. Leaves also have some moisture of their own to contribute to the cooking process. This is very important because the biggest problem with grilling seafood is to overcook and dry it out.
You could skip the leaves and foil all together by grilling fish whole. (gutted, but skim still intact). The skin of fin fish is very protective of the meat.
Pick the right Fish:
Seafood isn't the easiest thing to grill. However, some are easier than others. So for starters, you want to select a more meaty fish. Tuna, Marlin, mahi-mahi, salmon. All of these fish are either pretty compact or have relatively high fat content so they are perfect for the grill. You can try your hand at more fragile fish fillets such as flounder, but certain percautions need to be taken. Consider using a fish basket or covering the grill with foil so that your fish doesn't wind up in pieces at the bottom of the coals.
The Heat:
Fish should be cooked over high heat and quickly. The only exception is when you decide to take up the challenge of whole fish. Then depending on the size of the creature, you might consider lowing the temperature for a longer cooking process.
The Grill:
Keep the grill clean. Start off with a hot grill. This will help you clean some of the debris from the last gig. If using an open grill, brush the stuff off from last time. Spraying the grill when cooking fish, isn't really the best idea. If you feel you have too, then put a little oil on a paper towel and wipe the grill lightly. It is usually better to oil the fish, not the grill. Oil on the grill usually produces flare-ups. Flare-ups can be handled, but why not just eliminate them to begin with.
Now we get to the really hard part:
How do you tell it's done? The easiest way is to press the fish with your fingers. If it flakes, it's done. For all of you that haven't developed the "asbestos fingers of a chef" yet, inserting a metal skewer into the thickest part of the meat (if it comes out hot, it's done). Also, make a small slit into the fish to see if the inside has lost it translucence color.
Here are some sites I have checked out to help you get through the outdoor fish cooking season:
Seafood Soup Recipes from Soupsong.com
2.Using Marinades and Sprinkles to Flavor Fish.
I'm a rub and sprinkle fan. Actually, what I am is a control freak so I'm not real big on marinades.
Marinades are good for dry fish, like tuna and wahoo. The basic ingredients are some sort of oil, some sort of acid or flavoring (such as lemon, lime juice or soy sauce, some aromatics (onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, peppers, etc.), and some herbs, spices, and seasonings. The marinade keeps the fish moist during grilling and you can use any excess for basting. It really sounds easiest enough and it is as long as you follow a couple of rules.
1. Boil the excess marinade
in a saucepan first to kill any bacteria.
2. If your schedule changes and you don't get to make the fish when you planned,
the flavoring could be a little on the strong side.
3. Scrape off excess oil from the marinade before grilling to prevent a major
flairup.
Bottled Dressings:
These are good to brush on to fish and shellfish while you are doing the grilling. Not a good idea to use as a marinade. Why you ask? Because of the salt content in the bottled item. It is probably very high and it will "leach" out the moisture from the food while it is marinating. This defeats the purpose. I know it's easy, but make your own. Salt should only be sprinkled on the food just before it hits the grill.
Here are some places to get recipes for marinades. Also remember, that any recipe you use for chicken you can use for fish.
Marinades for Poultry, but great for Fish
Sprinkles:
My favorite. Just coat the fish with a little oil. Sprinkle with what ever store bought, self made mixture that floats your boat and grill. If you aren't making your own, check the package for salt content. The best way is to taste it. If it isn't salty enough for you, add some.
Here are some places to find sprinkles.
Spice & Herb Mixes to Make and Sprinkle
3. You Win the Fish Grilling Game with a Zone defense.
Playing the zone isn't only for football. Zone play also works for basketball and for grilling. Most of us that work in restaurants these days (especially if we are doing what is called institutional work, eg: hospitals, nursing homes, etc) work on electric equipment. Rather than wait for a section of the stove to cool down or heat up, we set the various sections of the stove at different temperatures. This way instead of fiddleing with the stove we just move the pots around. Are we are smart bunch or what?
You can do the same things with your grill. You all ready do this if you have a top warming rack. Not unusal for you to move food that is cooked to the warming rack to get it out of the way and to control the cooking process.
Remember that foil thing? Covering your grill with foil is an excellent idea in this case. It makes it easier to move the food around and you don't have to worry about the fish falling through the grate. Just don't seal the food up in the foil....unless you are looking to steam your dinner.
If you have the time, the following is a link to Steven Raichlen, otherwise known as the "Pit Boss". He doesn't do a lot with seafood, but his over all info about grilling is first hand.
The ABC's of Grilling with Steven Raichlen
4. What About Shellfish?Everything is relative. Grilling fin fish is touchy when you compare it to grilling a steak, but a stroll through the park compared to shellfish. This is because if you over cook fin fish the worst thing that can happen is that your company will assure you that they like it crispy. However, if you over cook shellfish, you may as well break out the dental floss. Let's face it, shellfish will end up like rubber.
Grilling Ideas for Shellfish.
Shrimp: If you don't have a basket for shrimp, use two parallel skewers. Thread the shrimp through the heads with one skewer and through the tails with the other. The easiest way is to thread about 6 shrimp through the tail with one skewer and then thread through the head with the other. You will wind up with shrimp that looks like "railroad tracks". This will keep the shrimp from curling, you can grill several at one time, and you can turn the shrimp easily without letting it fall through the grate.
Lobster: Good average is about 7 minutes per pound. It is best to cut them in half for even cooking. Take a look at the following site for a little more info.
Clams: When you purchase clams, it is best to rinse and sort immediately. What ever you don't use that day, freeze. The shell gives wonderful protection to the clam. If you eat them on the half shell, you just need to thaw. They can go directly on the grill frozen. Here is some more info on clams.
mussels: Don't freeze mussels in their shells. If they are shucked, they freeze well.
Oysters: Never store oysters in an airtight container. They will die. The same goes for clams and mussels.
5. Market Watch...Going Shopping?
Produce:
Melon are good this week. Shipments from North Carolina and California cantaloupes
are plentiful. Prices are still high on cucumbers. Idaho potatos are still at
the top of the price charts because of limited storage supplies. Tomato markets
could be volatile over the next month as the chief Eastern production areas
begin to shift north. Prices are rising on East Coast crops as hot weather speeds
up crop maturity. Zucchini from North Carolina is coming in and they are a good
size, nice, dark-green coloring and firm texture. West coast red variety grapefruits
are coming in and the prices are decent.
Seafood: New Bedford, Mass...The Scallop Capital of the World is harvesting plentiful supplies of scallops, making prices attractive. Maryland soft-shell crab harvesters are having a very difficult season. Short supplies of crabs are keeping prices high. Conservation efforts along the New England coast, that limit the days boats are allowed at sea, has hurt the flounder industry and prices are high. Haddock prices are better because they are available from Canada. Clam supplies from the Long Island, NY water are plentiful. Shrimp prices are better and are likely to continue through the summer because imports are way up. Lobster tail harvesters are coming up short, so watch out!
Beef: Bacon prices are on their way up. Beef production remains high; however with the recent news, prices are to be watched. Pork is down a little, veal is about the same and the chicken wing market is at it's lowest....look for specials at your favorite restaurants.
Dairy:
Stocks of butter are sufficient. Don't anticipate last year's problems.