Use a fish basket.
I’ve wrapped it in tin foil but its more like baking, but I like it. I’ve grilled lake trout directly on the grate with the skin and that turned great.
With smaller fish, I leave the skin on, take out the rib cage. I then take a brown paper bag from grocery store and cut it so it’s completely flat.
Stratigically lay your fillets, skin down, and use a sharp knife to cut around the entire fillet leaving a 1/4″ – 1/2″ around entire outside edges of fillet.
I then put the fillet directly on grill.
I do brush a little butter on it about half way though cooking to keep moist.
The bag with burn a little around endges but the oil from skin will keep the rest from burning. You can actualy use the burnt bag as a plate. This was taught to me by a good friend using pan fish fillets. I then started doing samller eyes and some have said it’s some of the best walleye they’ve eaten.
Season to preference.
A smaller grill wiht a good top does seem to work best as you are wanting to also cook from the top.
You’ll know when they are done.
Sure is a clean way of cooking fish, ideal for campers.
Take the skin off and grill the fillets in a soaked cedar plank. Season to your liking and baste with light Italian dressing or Wee Willys White BBQ. Awesome and easy, taste great, no smell and better for you.
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I have some with the skin and scales intact. Will that keep it firm?
Keep the skin on but get rid of the scales. Fish skin is edible (and delicious!) and it will help you keep everything together if you direct grilling, you want that skin cracker crisp if you can. Medium heat with clean, hot grates would be my suggestion.
Otherwise a fish basket works great (still remove the scales) and I use planks a few times a year as well. Cedar planks are good but alder for white fleshed meat is best if you can find it. First time I used alder planks, I cooked up a bunch of stripers and hybrids my in-laws brought up from TX, it was delicious. Here’s what I use for a marinade on the planks, I really like it and you can double it easy:
1 tsp good mustard (dijon or stone ground)
1 tsp vinegar (white wine, champagne or cider)
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
Hope this helps, good luck.
I did see one of those solid salt blocks which you can get hot on the grill and put some fillets right on top. You can also get really hot and sear some steaks right infront of your guests at the table. About the size of a small cutting board and about 2 inches thick.
The main thing is don’t over cook it. I put it on foil, brush it with olive oil, and put some old bay on it or tatonka dust.
I use a baking sheet with holes in it whenever I grill fish. You get the smokey flavor of the grill but the fillets don’t fall apart. Season with whatever you like!
When I grill fish I simply put a sheet of heavy foil, shiney side towards the coals, down on the grill and give the cooking side a quick shot of pam. The fish gets laid on the foil skin side down, the lid gets closed and stays down until the fish is done. Thick fillets like salmon and lake trout get about 12 minutes. Walleyes get about 8 minutes and crappies see the heat for 4 minutes. Slide the foil onto a cookie sheet and serve it up.
Most people cook the death out of fish on a grill but in fact it cooks very fast….way faster than red meat, pork or chicken of comparable weights.
Instead of foil I use a non-stick sheet for the grill and follow this recipe. http://bbq.about.com/od/fishseafoodrecipes/r/bln0110a.htm
Favorite recipe
Leave skin and scales on. Butter the fillet sprinkle with lemonpepper and put directly on grill grate skin down. Cook until meet is opaque. Enjoy.
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