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Hook, Line, and Sizzle
| Article
# : |
21905 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
7 / 1993 |
1,727 Words |
| Author
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Judith Fertig
Judith Fertig is president of the Kansas City Chapter of Les
Dames D'Escoffier, an international organization of
professional women in the culinary arts. She is also a member
of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. |
The Fourth of July seems to herald in the summer barbecue season. We all look forward to meals cooked over the coals. But this year; let's give burgers, ribs, and chicken a breather. It's time to show our barbecue savvy with the denizens of the deep--and not so deep.
Before you exclaim that fish for the Fourth of July is un-American, let me remind you of the Vermont tradition of salmon with new potatoes and peas for the Fourth, the Pacific Northwest tradition of planked fish, and the South's love of catfish and hush puppies.
And with current dietary research suggesting we could all do with less fat, cooking fish on the grill makes sense. It's healthy and it's delicious. No wonder more and more restaurant chefs as well as home cooks are turning to fish on the grill.
At no other time has fresh fish been so easy to buy or the variety so great. Even in the landlocked Midwest, fresh seafood is flown in to quality markets daily, ensuring that you'll always be able to find something fresh. But, unless you live on either coast, it's good to be flexible in your recipes. If you can't find the fish you originally wanted, substitute another similar fish. Freshness is what counts.
So let's get going.
Grilling fish requires a bit of special handling. To make sure your fillet or scallop doesn't fall from grace into the coals, there are several invaluable pieces of equipment to help out. First, the hinged grill basket sandwiches any piece of fish (or vegetable) between two thicknesses of wire mesh, making turning much easier. Also available is the Teflon-coated grill rack, which is perforated to allow the smoky flavor to permeate the fish while making it simple to flip shrimp, scallops, or smaller fish fillets over. Always grease these grill racks or toppers first to make sure that fish won't stick. Third, a grill wok can also be great for stir-grilling fish with vegetables. Again, perforations allow for the smoky flavor to come through as you turn the food with wooden spoons.
Firmer-fleshed fish also does well in kabob recipes. For kabobs, you need skewers. Wooden or bamboo skewers need to be soaked for ten to thirty minutes before grilling so they don't burn up on the grill. But the best skewers are the flat metal kind; these keep the kabob ingredients from spinning around when you turn the kabob over.
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