Sizzling Seafood 



Cooking Your catch Over the Coals 



By Joyce Taylor 



Light the fire. Bank the coals. It's 

 time to grill out. 



With a grill on almost every deck, 

 it's no wonder that more Americans than 

 ever are opting to cook over the fire. 

 Grilling is a fast, easy way to cook a 

 summer meal without heating up the 

 kitchen. 



As for grill fare, why not choose 

 seafood — grouper fillets, tuna steaks, 

 scallops or shrimp? Seafood is healthful, 

 requiring little, if any, added fat. And it's 

 delicious even when plainly cooked. For 

 extra flavor, add sauces or marinade. 



Remember to use only fresh fish and 

 shellfish. No amount of grilling or 

 minutes in a marinade will mask the fishy 

 flavor of poor quality seafood. 



Here are some tips for better grilling 

 success. 



♦ Fish in any market form — 

 drawn, dressed, steaks or fillets — may 

 be cooked over coals. Shellfish, depend- 

 ing on the recipe, may be grilled in the 

 shell or shucked. 



♦ Seafood is fragile. Handle it 

 gently before and during cooking. Firm 

 fish, such as shark or tuna, can be cooked 

 directly on the grill or on skewers. 

 Medium firm fish, such as salmon or 

 grouper, can be too. They're easier to 

 cook as steaks or skin-on fillets at least 

 3/4 inch thick, or as kabobs. A hinged 

 metal grill or a fish basket makes cooking 

 all seafood easy. They are long-handled 

 and adjust to the fish's thickness. 



♦ Do not overcook your catch. 

 Fish should always be moist and 

 tender, never dry and chewy. Cook 

 only until it flakes easily when tested 

 with a fork. Crustaceans are low fat 

 and will dry out quickly. 



♦ Always use a clean rack. 

 Preheat it, then brush with vegetable 

 oil. Cook seafood about 4 inches 

 above moderately hot coals. Fillets 

 will cook in 6 to 12 minutes per inch 

 of thickness. Turn once. Check for 

 doneness before the cooking time is 

 up. Although thin fillets do not have to 

 be turned, they have more grilled 

 flavor if they are. When cooking 

 drawn or dressed fish, score each side 

 with three diagonal cuts to ensure even 

 cooking. 



♦ Use a covered grill if possible. 

 It allows faster cooking and keeps the 

 seafood moist and tender. 



♦ Oily fish, such as salmon and 

 mackerel, retain moisture and need 

 little or no basting. Leaner fish, such as 

 flounder or snapper, may require 

 basting with oil, melted margarine or a 

 flavored marinade. 



♦ Always make marinades in a 

 nonreactive container such as glass or 

 stainless steel. Fish or shellfish require 

 only 15 to 30 minutes to soak up the 

 flavor of a marinade. Marinating 

 seafood too long in high-acid liquids, 

 such as wine, vinegar and citrus juices, 

 turns it opaque with a firm, cooked 



appearance. This will cause it to be dry 

 and tough when cooked. 



♦ If using marinade for basting, 

 set some aside. Never baste cooked 

 fish or shellfish with marinade that has 

 held raw seafood because you could 

 contaminate your dinner with harmful 

 bacteria. 



♦ Instead of a marinade, try a rub 

 — a concentrated blend of herbs and 

 spices. Create your own flavors such as 

 Mexican, Creole or mixed herbs. 

 Simply rub the mixture into the surface 

 of the seafood before cooking. Or 

 sprinkle it on. 



♦ Get out the grill. Enjoy! 



Grilled Snapper 

 Parmesan 



• 4 small snapper fillets 



• vegetable oil 



• 1/8 teaspoon salt 



• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground 

 black pepper 



• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 



• 1/2 cup freshly grated 

 Parmesan cheese 



Brush fillets with oil and sprinkle 

 with salt, pepper, oregano and 

 Parmesan. Place fish in greased hinged 

 wire grill. Cook about 4 minutes. 

 Brush with oil and turn. Continue 

 grilling about 4 to 5 minutes, until fish 

 flakes easily with a fork. Serves 4. 



24 JULY/AUGUST 1997 



