Grilled Fish - Scrumptious summer food

Grilled fish, grilled chicken, grilled steak.....you might think Nina is totally lost it and that this blog will never return to what it was. Well, this site is all about making cooking "easy" and simple and grilling is one of the easiest and most delicious ways of cooking. With summer  temperatures soaring in the high thirties, grilling is also the  quickest way to cook and therefore you will spend less time in the boiling hot kitchen. Grilling outdoors is of course ideal, but for you guys in the Northern part of the world, a griddle pan or even the oven is also good.



In my last couple of posts, I have covered grilled chicken and grilled steak so I thought I will finish my grilling theme off by posted about grilled fish.



When making grilled fish, there are also a few guidelines that will help you get perfect results.

- The flesh should be firm so that when pressed with your finger, it doesn't leave an indentation or mark.

- The eyes should be clear and plump, not cloudy, dull or sunken.

- The fish should NOT have a fishy smell, but rather that of seaweed or fresh seawater and the gills must be bright red.

- heat the grill first and then oil lightly - this helps to combat sticking and is ideal to get the perfect grilling marks.

- turn the fish only once

-when the meat inside the cavity is no longer translucent, the fish is cooked.



Cooking times - these are just guidelines - use your own judgment.... 





Small whole fish - 7 minutes on each side. If stuffed, cook a little longer



Large whole fish  15 minutes per side. Longer if it is very big or stuffed



Thick Fillets about 6 minutes per side. Trout fillets may only need 4 minutes per side.



Steaks - about 5 minutes per side.

Sometimes Lady Luck just smiles on you  and you find the unexpected. Imagine walking through your Fruit and Veg store and find a crate full of fresh mullets right there in front of you. I think those little babies were still swimming that morning, but I knew where they where destined to be that night.....grilled to perfection on a plate. Simple, scrumptious summer food. 

Mullets or harders as we call them here in South Africa carries the Green color on the SASSI list, which means in layman's terms, it is OK to eat. Sometimes these mullets or harders are dried and cured  and then we refer to them as "bokkems" (Pronounce: Bok-kums). 







I had other plan for my little fish......







Ingredients





about 2 small fish per person

fresh dill

salt/pepper

lemon juice

streaky bacon - 1 slice per fish

oil





Take a sharp knife and cut the fish open on the belly side and remove the inside. Wash and clean the inside of the fish and stuff with a little fresh dill. Repeat with all the other fish. Season with salt and pepper and wrap the streaky bacon around the fish - around the belly area.

Heat the grill and lightly oil. Lay  your fish on the grill and let it cook for about 6 minutes. Turn over and do the same. If the fish is stuck to the grill, wait a few seconds and try again. Try and  not fiddle with the fish, it will break especially if they are small like these little mullets. While grilling squeeze a little lemon juice over the fish. 



Serve a stack of these babies on a platter in the middle of the table and see how your guests tuck in....fingers and all!!!