The Grilling of Fish

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Charcoal grill at least 22 inches (56 cm) wide, arranged with two heat zones
• •Hinged double fish-grilling basket large enough to hold four small fish, for Fish Grills (No. 260)
• •Charcoal chimney for preparing Grills (No. 257)
• •Long-handled basting brush
• •Thin flexible fish slice
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Build a clean fire

   Prepare the charcoal according to Grills (No. 257). Light one full chimney and wait until the coals glow red beneath a fine grey coating, with no black pieces giving off sooty smoke. Arrange an even, moderately thick bed beneath two-thirds of the grate and leave the remaining third cooler. This safety zone matters: butter can flare, and moving the fish is wiser than scorching it. Set the serving platter near the grill so it warms gently without becoming too hot to handle.

   The fire should feel forceful but not savage. Hold your palm about 5 inches (13 cm) above the grate only long enough to judge it, about four seconds indicates the moderate heat fish needs.
2. 2

   Heat the basket

   Set the double fish-grilling basket over the fire in advance, following Fish Grills (No. 260), and heat it for 8 to 10 minutes. Brush both inner faces generously with about 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the clarified butter. A cold basket seizes the fish; a properly heated, buttered one begins setting the crust on contact.

3. 3

   Prepare the fish

   Pat the fish dry inside and out. Unless they are exceptionally small, cut three shallow diagonal gashes on each side, about ¼ inch (6 mm) deep, passing through the skin and into the thick flesh without striking the backbone. These openings let heat reach the thickest part before the thinner tail dries. Season the cavities and both sides with the salt, then blot away any moisture that appears.

4. 4

   Flour, then butter

   Spread the flour in a wide dish and roll each lean fish through it, coating both sides and the gashes. Shake off every loose patch, because excess flour becomes pasty rather than crisp. Brush the fish copiously with clarified butter only after flouring, allowing it to run into the cuts. If you are using mackerel, red mullet, herring, trout, or thick salmon sections, omit the flour and brush the fish directly with butter; their natural fat supplies the protection lean fish lacks.

5. 5

   Grill without disturbing

   Lay the fish in the hot basket with space between them, close it securely, and place it over the moderate fire. Grill the first side for 5 to 7 minutes, brushing more clarified butter through the basket once or twice. Do not shift or open it while the crust is forming. If dripping butter raises a flame, move the whole basket to the cool zone until it dies, then return it to the heat. Ça se rattrape, and the fish need never taste scorched.

6. 6

   Turn and finish

   Turn the entire closed basket in one confident movement and grill the second side for 4 to 6 minutes, basting once more. The fish is ready when the crust is evenly golden, the dorsal fin pulls free without resistance, and the flesh beside the backbone is opaque and separates easily from the bones. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest flesh should register 145°F (63°C). If the crust colors before the centre is ready, move the basket to the cool zone and close the grill lid for 2 to 3 minutes; gentle surrounding heat finishes the flesh without burning the flour.

7. 7

   Serve at once

   Open the basket over the warmed platter and release each fish with a thin fish slice. If a small patch catches, work beneath it slowly rather than pulling; the golden crust is worth keeping attached. Arrange the fish directly on the hot platter, without paper or a napkin. Set one coin of Butter à la Maître d’Hôtel on each fish so it softens into the gashes, then garnish generously with fresh parsley and grooved lemon slices. Grilled fish does not wait for its guests. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger to scale, gut, and trim the fish while leaving the heads and tails attached. Fish of similar thickness cook together; matching size matters more than matching species.
• •Keep the source rule straight: flour lean white fish before buttering it. Butter fatty fish directly. Flour on mackerel or salmon only dulls the rich flesh, while an unfloured lean fish dries before it can bronze.
• •Clarified butter belongs over the coals because its milk solids have been removed and cannot blacken as quickly as whole butter. Save whole butter for the Butter à la Maître d’Hôtel melting at the table. We don't apologize for butter, but we do put each butter where it works.
• •Serve with a dry, bright white wine that will cut the butter and respect the fish. A Muscadet suits Atlantic fish particularly well; a restrained Provençal white belongs naturally beside Mediterranean species.
• •Cook the fish last. It loses its crisp surface if held, though cold leftovers are excellent the next day with mustard, herbs, and a sharp vinaigrette.

Advance Preparation

• •Have the fish cleaned earlier the same day, keep them covered in the cold, and dry them thoroughly before cooking. Cut the gashes up to 6 hours ahead, but do not salt, flour, or butter the fish until the grill is ready.
• •The Butter à la Maître d’Hôtel can be prepared and shaped up to 3 days ahead, then kept covered in the cold. Cut it into coins while firm.
• •Wash and dry the parsley and groove the lemons several hours ahead. Hold both in the cold, but bring the butter coins out only while the fish grills.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)