Steaks and chops are typically the first things that come to mind when the conversation turns to grilling, but a nice piece of grilled fish is hard to beat as well. The delicate meat, a few spices and the smoke and char of the grill combine to create a taste experience that will rival or surpass anything you’ve ever put on the grates.
Whether you have a gas or wood pellet grill or prefer old-school charcoal, with just a little prep work you can grill a complete fish meal with less than 10 minutes of actual cooking time. In this Mercury Cook Your Catch video, Taylor Wright and Adrian Skok of “The Canadian Tradition” television series show you their foolproof way to grill a meal of fish and vegetables that will impress everyone at your table and add an easy and healthy option to your cooking repertoire.
Taylor Wright’s Camp Grilled Fish
1 to 2 pounds fish fillets of your choice
1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 ounce olive oil
1 tablespoon diced parsley
Salt
1 lemon
1 bell pepper
1 cup mushrooms
1 summer squash
1 zucchini
A few garlic cloves
1 white or yellow onion
1 head of fennel
Canola oil
Minced garlic
Black pepper
Fresh dill
In a bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, olive oil, diced parsley, a pinch of salt and a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice to make a fish marinade. Use a spoon to thoroughly mix the ingredients.
Add the fillets to the bowl, making sure each gets a good coating, and put in the fridge to marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.
Cut the pepper, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, onion and fennel into bite-sized chunks and put them in a vegetable cage or grilling basket that has been wiped down with canola oil to keep the food from sticking. Include a few cloves of garlic.
Liberally brush on a topping of minced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil
You’ll need a fish cage to keep your fillets in one piece on the grill. Thoroughly wipe down your cage with canola oil to keep the fish from sticking.
Place your fillets in the cage with as little overlap as possible, and put a few sprigs of fresh dill on top of each one.
Heat grill to 350 F. Put the vegetables on first as they’ll take a bit longer to cook, and give them a final brushing of your olive oil/spice mixture. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until they are tender with just a little bit of char.
Thin fish fillets cook fast, so you’ll only need 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side for them. You can also increase the heat at the end for a nice sear. If you’re not sure how to tell if the fish is done by sight, use a meat thermometer. As soon as the temperature of the fish is at least 145 F throughout, it’s ready to eat.
Take care when you open up the fish cage that you do not pull apart the fillets. You can use a fork or small spatula to help get the fish to release if it is sticking to the metal.
Plate your fish and vegetables. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
With that, dinner is served. It’s a fast and easy meal that’s also healthy and delicious. This recipe is perfect for most flaky freshwater fish, but it’s also great for just about any freshwater or saltwater fish you care to try.
For more great recipes, search “Cook Your Catch” in the Dockline Blog, or click here.
