BBQ Tips: Grilling fish at home

Get fresh fish

Needless to say great food starts with the fresh ingredients. Go to your local shop and ask for the best fish cuts.

Grilling different types of fish

Firm fish
For firm fish such as salmon make sure you place it on the grill skin down first and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Flip it over with a spatula, and depending on how thick the fish is, leave it on the grill for another 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the heat as soon as it gets flacky.

Soft fish
Softer types of fish like sole tend to crumb easier, so is not a good idea to put it directly on the grill. Wrap the fish in aluminum foil and then place it on the grill

The marinade
A simple marinade of olive oil, herbs and a punch of citrus is the ideal combination for a good fish marinade. Let the fish soak in the marinade for no longer than 15 minutes, otherwise you’ll end up with a ceviche. 

Infusing flavour

Wooden plank 
A simple way to infuse flavour is to grill using a wooden plank. You can usually find it in any grocery store. It gives the fish a delicious smokey flavour but you don’t get the traditional BBQ char marks. 

Hint: Don’t forget to soak the wooden plank in water before you put it on the grill.

Bed of herbs
A common technique chefs use to infuse flavour is grilling fish over a bed of herbs. Rosemary, thyme or fennel usually do the trick. 

Remember to oil the herbs before you start grilling, it will keep them from burning too fast.