Grilled Fish Fillets Or Steaks Recipes

GRILLED FISH FILLETS OR STEAKS

Steps:

• Heat a charcoal or gas grill until quite hot, and put the rack 3 or 4 inches from the heat source. Drizzle the flesh of the fish with olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
• When the fire is ready, grill the fish for about 5 minutes, or until it's firm enough to turn. Turn, and grill until done, usually another 3 to 5 minutes. When done, the fish will still be firm and juicy but opaque, and a thin-bladed knife will pass through it fairly easily. Serve with tomato salsa.

GRILLED FISH STEAKS

Steps:

• In a stainless steel or glass bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.
• Place the halibut filets in a shallow glass dish or a resealable plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover or seal and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Set grate 4 inches from the heat.
• Remove halibut filets from marinade and drain off the excess. Grill filets 5 minutes per side or until fish is done when easily flaked with a fork.

SIMPLE GRILLED COD STEAKS

Steps:

• To keep the steaks from falling apart, fold the long, thin end pieces-the belly flaps-inward to form a compact round of flesh. Tie a length of kitchen twine in a loop around the outside band of skin of the fish, securing the flaps within; pull to tighten, and knot it securely.
• Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with salt, coat with garlic oil, and place in a dish with a few garlic slices and the herb stems strewn over them. Marinate for an hour or two at room temperature, or longer if refrigerated.
• Preheat the clean rack of a grill over high heat until very hot. Just before putting on the fish, rub the grill with an oiled towel or a piece of pork fat. Wipe excess garlic oil off the steaks, and set them on the grill.
• Sear the steaks without moving them for 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the tops with garlic oil. If the fish isn't sticking, check the cooked undersides and flip the steaks over as soon as the grill marks are golden brown. If the flesh sticks, grill another minute to sear, then turn the steaks over, using a sharp-edged broad metal spatula if necessary, to separate the flesh from the grill.
• Grill to mark the second side, 3 to 4 minutes; brush the top side with a small amount of garlic oil, and lower heat to medium. If the flesh is not sticking, you can make crosshatch grill marks if you wish: lift the steak after 3 minutes, rotate it 90 degrees or so in relation to the grill rack, then lower it on the same side.
• When the second side has grilled for 4 minutes or more, check for doneness by feel and sight: when the exterior flakes and the center of the steak is opaque but moist (push aside the flesh with a knife blade to see inside), remove steaks to a platter.
• Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with garlic oil. Serve right away with sauce on the side, or top with spoonfuls of salsa verde, or drizzle salmoriglio, or dress with just a plain slice of lemon and some extra-virgin olive oil.
• First Make Garlic Oil and Other Tips for Grilled Seafood
• Here are my basic preparations for all fish or shellfish before grilling. They're useful for either gas or charcoal grills, although every grill differs in heat output and cooking times:
• First, make plenty of garlic-infused oil, ahead of time, to flavor all fish and shellfish, including clams, mussels, and oysters in the shell.
• For one cup of oil, drop 1/4 cup of sliced garlic in 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let the oil infuse for 1/2 hour to 1 hour before using; then remove the garlic slices. The oil can be refrigerated for a week or more.
• Marinate the seafood in garlic oil: pour just enough oil over to coat; toss and turn to oil all surfaces. Toss in some of the garlic slices if the garlic oil is freshly made, or a few newly cut slices, as well as fresh herb stems or branches-such as thyme, bay leaves, or rosemary. Marinate all fish for an hour or two if possible before grilling, or even overnight (refrigerated, of course).
• Clean and scrape the grill rack well, and get it intensely hot over high heat or hot piled coals before putting on the fish.
• Grease the hot grill rack lightly before putting on food, with an oiled paper towel, or a piece of cured pork skin from prosciutto end (page 129).
• Sear fish without turning until deeply marked by the grill, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Thorough searing minimizes sticking.
• For large fish or steaks, initially cook over high heat, then, halfway through, lower heat to medium; for smaller pieces, lower the heat (or spread the coals) and cook only over medium heat.
• Keep garlic oil handy, and drizzle or brush on seafood sparingly while grilling-usually on turning the pieces. Avoid spilling any oil onto the lava rocks or coals and starting smoky, bad-tasting flare-ups.
• Grill simple garnishes and accompaniments for seafood at the same time. I grill rounds of lemon on the rack alongside my fish or shellfish, until nicely caramelized, 5 minutes or more, turning them occasionally. Another favorite: brush slices of country bread with garlic oil, and mark well on both sides (over a cool section of the grill), to serve with the fish.
• Serving Suggestions . . .
• Cooked Carrot Salad with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins (page 45), Scallion and Asparagus Salad (page 35), or Eggplant all'Uccelletto (Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic, and Mint; page 252) would be an ideal accompaniment for grilled cod.
• First Make Garlic Oil-And Other Tips for Grilled Seafood
• Just a few steps from my kitchen is the door to a shady terrazzo where we relax and eat many of our summer meals. On one wall is a beautiful old-fashioned brick fireplace for cooking meats over wood coals. But often, I have to confess, I do my everyday grilling on a convenient gas grill with adjustable burners. And usually I grill fish or shellfish-it's always quick, and my family loves it.
• Here are my basic preparations for all fish or shellfish before grilling. They're useful for either gas or charcoal grills, although every grill differs in heat output and cooking times:
• First, make plenty of garlic-infused oil, ahead of time, to flavor all fish and shellfish, including clams, mussels, and oysters in the shell.
• For one cup of oil, drop 1/4 cup of sliced garlic in 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let the oil infuse for 1/2 hour to 1 hour before using; then remove the garlic slices. The oil can be refrigerated for a week or more.
• Marinate the seafood in garlic oil: pour just enough oil over to coat; toss and turn to oil all surfaces. Toss in some of the garlic slices if the garlic oil is freshly made, or a few newly cut slices, as well as fresh herb stems or branches-such as thyme, bay leaves, or rosemary. Marinate all fish for an hour or two if possible before grilling, or even overnight (refrigerated, of course).
• Clean and scrape the grill rack well, and get it intensely hot over high heat or hot piled coals before putting on the fish.
• Grease the hot grill rack lightly before putting on food, with an oiled paper towel, or a piece of cured pork skin from prosciutto end (page 129).
• Sear fish without turning until deeply marked by the grill, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Thorough searing minimizes sticking.
• For large fish or steaks, initially cook over high heat, then, halfway through, lower heat to medium; for smaller pieces, lower the heat (or spread the coals) and cook only over medium heat.
• Keep garlic oil handy, and drizzle or brush on seafood sparingly while grilling-usually on turning the pieces. Avoid spilling any oil onto the lava rocks or coals and starting smoky, bad-tasting flare-ups.
• Grill simple garnishes and accompaniments for seafood at the same time. I grill rounds of lemon on the rack alongside my fish or shellfish, until nicely caramelized, 5 minutes or more, turning them occasionally. Another favorite: brush slices of country bread with garlic oil, and mark well on both sides (over a cool section of the grill), to serve with the fish.

GRILLED FISH STEAKS

Steps:

• Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Sprinkle both sides of fish steak with salt and pepper. Mix butter and lemon juice; set aside.
• Grill fish steak uncovered about 4 inches from medium heat 7 to 10 minutes, brushing 2 or 3 times with butter mixture. Carefully turn fish. (If fish sticks to the grill, loosen gently with a turner.) Brush other side with butter mixture.
• Grill uncovered 7 to 10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork. Brush with butter mixture.

GRILLED FILLET STEAK WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Rub the steaks lightly with olive oil, season with salt and fresh-ground pepper, and coat them generously with chopped fresh herbs. You can do this a few hours or a day ahead of time. Let the steak come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before cooking.
• Prepare a fire with wood or wood charcoal and let it burn down to a thick bed of hot coals. The grill should be very hot and brushed clean before you put the steaks on. How long to cook the meat depends on its thickness and how hot the fire is. A 2-inch fillet steak will take 6 to 8 minutes on one side, and 4 to 8 minutes on the other, depending on how rare you like it. If the fire flares up, move the steaks to a cooler part of the grill briefly before returning them to a hot spot. Test for doneness by pressing with your finger; the meat will be soft when rare, springy when medium-rare, and firm when well done. Cut into the meat to check if you are unsure. When they are done to your liking, remove the steaks and let them rest for several minutes for the juices to stabilize before serving. For added flavor, while they are still hot from the grill, sprinkle the steaks with finely chopped garlic.

GRILLED FISH

Steps:

• Brush grill rack with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray. Prepare the coals or a gas grill for direct heat. Heat to medium heat, which will take about 40 minutes for charcoal or about 10 minutes for a gas grill.
• Cut fish into 4 serving pieces. Brush fish with about half of the butter; sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
• Place the fish on the grill rack (if fish fillets have skin, place skins side down). Cover the grill; cook 10 to 14 minutes, brushing 2 or 3 times with remaining butter, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.