Grilled seafood can be a delightful culinary experience if done
right. Many people shy away from seafood because they don"t know
what to do with it. Seafood makes a tasty, healthy meal on the
grill. Did you know most fish has less than half the fat of
beef? I would rather put a nice salmon fillet on the grill any
day. Grilling great seafood does takes a little practice. I"ve
put together 10 tips to help you get started.

1. Always start with fresh fish if possible. You will have a
better grilling experience. Previously frozen fish will also
work; its just harder to work with. Plan on 6-8 ounces per
person for fillets and 8-12 ounces per person when buying whole
fish.

2. When grilling directly on the grill it is best to use a firm
fleshed fish like grouper, marlin, salmon or tuna. A special
fish and vegetable grid will make grilling easier. The finer
mesh will help keep your food from falling through. You may even
want to use a wire grill basket, especially for those more
delicate fillets. This way you can turn your fish over without
worrying about it breaking apart. You can even stick lemon
slices between the fish and basket, if you wish.

3. Always make sure your grill is clean and well-lubricated with
oil to prevent your fish from sticking. Fish breaks apart
easily. If it sticks to your grill, you will have nothing but
little pieces to serve. I like to saturate a paper towel with
cooking oil and wipe down my grill before putting my food on. I
haven"t tried it yet, but PAM also has a cooking spray made just
for grilling.

4. If your fish came with the skin on, leave it on. Always place
your fish fillet flesh side down first. This will sear the
flesh, locking in the flavor and moisture. Turn over one-third
to halfway through the grilling.

5. Always grill your fish over a hot to medium-hot fire. To test
this, hold your hand about 5 inches above your heat source. Your
fire is hot if you can only hold it there foe about 2 seconds.
3-4 seconds would indicate a medium-hot fire. When cooking whole
fish instead of fillets, you will want a slightly lower
temperature as the cooking time will be longer.

6. So how long do I leave my fish on the grill? A good rule of
thumb is about 10 minutes for every inch of thickness. There are
a few exceptions to this rule, but your recipe should note this
if that is the case. Fish is done when its color turns opaque
and just begins to flake with a fork. A little underdone is
better than overdone as your fish will continue to cook after
taken off the grill.

7. Marinades are great to add additional flavor to fish.
Marinade your fish for only 30-60 minutes before grilling.
Because of their lack of connective tissue, fish absorbs
marinades easily. Do not over marinade or the flavors may
overpower the flavor of your fish.

8. Do I need to baste my fish? When grilling, baste lean fish
periodically with your favorite basting liquid or olive oil.
This will help keep the fish from drying out. Basting is not
really necessary with fattier fish but you may wish to do so for
more flavor.

9. I love to grill with skewers. Lightly marinated shrimp are
great! Use fairly large shrimp for this. Chunks of fish also
work well as long as they are firm fleshed. Alternate with
chunks of your favorite vegetables for great kebobs. If using
wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30
minutes. This will keep them from burning up on your grill.

10. One last tip. Tired of your hands smelling like a tacklebox
long after you"ve washed your hands? Try rubbing some lemon
juice on your hands. Then wash with soap and water. This will
also help get rid of onion or garlic odors.

Grilling seafood isn"t really very hard if you follow these
tips. With a little practice you will be grilling perfect
seafood in no time. Your stomach will thank you for it, as well
as all your friends and family. So slap a nice fillet of salmon
on the grill today.

About the author:
This article was written by Shane Bryan, aka Chef Shane. Chef
Shane has his own cooking site at href="http://chefshane.com">http://chefshane.com Visit today
for great recipes, cooking articles, food trivia, and much more.
If it has anything to do with food you may find it here. href="http://chefshane.com">http://chefshane.com.

Author : Shane Bryan
Site : www.goarticles.com

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