Little grill fun at Boneheads
Our Independence Day tradition! The 4th edition of July 4 secrets to maximizing the return on investment you’ve made on a backyard: Grilling tips. This year, we’ve checked in with Morgan Smith of Boneheads restaurant in Lake Forest to ponder the art of grilling fish ….
General tips …
- For most foods, surface temperature should be between 450 and 500 degrees.
- Cooking on a grill that is too hot will not cook the food faster, it will only burn it faster.
- When oil smokes excessively or catches on fire when applied to the surface of the grill, it is too hot!
- Grill must be oiled before placing the food on the grill.
- Do not excessively oil. It will impart a burnt flavor to the food.
- Oiling (olive oil or Pam) the food will help any seasoning stick to the food rather than the grill.
- Season the food lightly on both sides, keeping in mind that some seasoning will stick or burn off on the grill.
- Cook the food about 65% of the way through before flipping.
- Never use tongs on cooked fish as you can damage the items instead, use a spatula.
- Flip the food onto a clean oiled part of the grill surface.
- Before turning the grill off, surface should be thoroughly cleaned and oiled. This will prepare the surface for the next use and protect the metal.
As for the fish itself …
- Fish is always placed on the grill meat side down (or blood line up).
- Thin pieces of fish should be cooked on the cooler parts of the grill.
- Mahi and salmon is done when it is firm to the touch (using tongs).
- Snapper and tilapia are done when the flake apart easily.
- Fish should never be burned, dry looking, or cracked; this means it is over cooked.
- Thin pieces of fish cook in 5-7 minutes. Thick pieces? 8-10 minutes.
And a secret recipe … for pineapple salsa!
- Ingredients: Chopped pineapple, 4 cups; chopped roasted red pepper, 1 cup; chopped red onion, 1 cup; minced garlic, 1/4 cup; Thai chili sauce, 1/2 cup; chopped cilantro, 1/2 cup; chopped green onions, 1/2 cup.
- Procedure: (1) Using a rubber spatula combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (2) Transfer to serving dish. (3) Refrigerate until chilled!
- Note … Shelf Life: 3 days; yield: 8 cups
Previous grilling tips our red-white-and-blue blog tradition: July 4th outdoor cooking tips …
An Extra Tip
I highly recommend a fish basket to grill on - gives it the nice grilled line appearance and also prevents it from sticking to the grill.