Grill Your Fish (Briefly)

(Most of my blog entries will be tech related.  But some will be about cooking, some will be about fishing.  This one is about cooking fish.)

Now that the spring is here again, I've been grilling more often.  As I get older, I grill fewer burgers and steaks, more chicken and fish. Grilling has really become my favorite way to cook many kinds of fish. 

Start with a large filet from a good fish market.  Salmon is a great choice and widely available.  But fresh local fish can be even better.  I love this recipe with fresh caught striped bass.

I prefer to use large filets with the skin still on one side.  Dry the filet, rub the skin side with olive oil and place that side down on the grill over a medium heat. 

Mix a glaze from 1 part olive oil to 2 parts soy or teriyaki, and add ground ginger and lemon juice to taste.  Slice half a lemon (or lime, or even orange) into very thin (round) slices to use on the grill.  Cut the other half into wedges for the plates.  Brush the glaze onto the exposed fish meat at the start, half way through, and just before taking off the grill.  Place the round slices on the fish and move them aound when you apply more glaze.

I believe that the single most important thing about cooking fish is to avoid overcooking.  Overcooking ruins a good piece of fish by drying it out and by killing the flavor.  If the fish is an inch thick or less, just cook it on one side, skin side down, with the grill cover closed to hold in the heat. 10-15 minutes total time depending on the heat.  For a very thick piece of fish, place foil on the grill, spray it with cooking spray, put the meat side down and cook the fish for 4 or 5 minutes, then proceed as described above for a thinner piece of fish (oiled skin side down).

Take the filet off the grill carefully in one piece and serve on a long serving dish, arranging the citrus slices around it.  If you are plating the fish, I suggest a flat layer of rice, couscous, or mashed potatoes on each plate, a portion of fish over that, citrus on top of the fish, asparagus or string beans on the side. For even more color and variety, grill red and yellow pepper, slice into long thin strips, and serve over or along side the fish.  

Have a salt and pepper grinder ready on the table, and of course a bottle of your favorite wine. If there are left overs, fish tacos for lunch tomorrow!

I’ll probably return to tech posts next week.  Here are some possible topics.  Leave a comment or drop me a direct mail/message if you like one of these or want to point me to some of your favorite articles on those subjects.

•                The new smart phone social network tool “Color”

•                Why a delayed release of the iPhone5 makes good sense

•                Wearable technology

•                Thoughts on customized search results

•                Why Rock & Roll is better than Hip Hop

(Okay I probably won’t write about that last one, but I do honestly think it’s objectively true :).

Please leave a comment on the recipe above, on what I should write about next, or on what you think I should read.