Favorite marinades for grilled fish...
 

I really enjoy charcoal grilling fish. But my repertoire of marinades is getting boring. Any suggestions for your favorite recipes?

I'd love to help, but sadly I'm no chef.

However, I'd be gladly to help test your marinade by eating a good portion of it!!

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I suggest you try Mojo. I tried it for the first time in Cuba many years ago. I dont have a detailed recepie, but basic ingredients are olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and onions. Great stuff for the grill.

Few suggestions:

1) tried some wood chips to get a smoked effect yet?

2) Walk the aisle of local ethnic stores. I find all kinds of excellent marinades in my local Asian, Mid eastern, Mex, and Philipino stores.

3) not really a marinade, but for firm fleshed fish such as shark, halibut. I make a mixture of chopped feta cheese, chopped tomatos, basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil, which gets served alongside the grilled fish.

4) after grilling try saucing your fish w/a mixture of soy, minced ginger, chopped scallions. I like alot of ginger. A sea bass works great.

5) Jerk fish

6) fish tacos

7) Miso paste on your fish then grill. Tubs go for $5 at your Asian store and last forever.

Mojo is great on almost anything. I really like it on pork.

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Should have made it clearer; I use a charcoal grill. Often use wood chips or wild thyme (our backyard is full of it) for smoking.

Good suggestions, Sweet Willie; thank you!

Strange as it may sound I like to mix Maple Syrup and a little horseradish and use that on Salmon.
First time I heard about it ...I said yuck too...but really..it was yummy.

I like citrus, such as lime juice for a quick marinade.

Ahi tuna marinated in teriyaki and lightly grilled.

We had this for dinner last night with a side of steamed asparagus with kosher salt and baked wonton wrappers.

YUMMY!

also nice is soy sauce (real fermented high quality sauce such as Tamari), sherry, scallions and garlic.

Please dont tell my mom I thought of Mojo before Chimichurri... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/eek.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif

Chimichurri Sauce

You can mince the ingredients by hand or use a food processor, which is faster and easier. There are many variations on this condiment, and it is served with everything from empanadas to grilled specialties.

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
2 minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced basil, thyme or oregano, or mixture
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and let set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Yum. Thank you to all! Thanks, Gaucho for the detailed recipe. That does sound very versatile!

1. make some sort of pesto with herbs ( I like cilantro, mint & basil), garlic & olive oil. Puree in the food processor & smear al over fish.
2. super easy when I'm in a hurry--1/2 mayo & 1/2 dijon mustard (better if you have a flavored dijon like one with lemon zest). That's all! sounds wierd but is great.
3. Sake, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar.
Just remember when you marinate fish, not to do it for very long (about 1/2 hour or so) or the marinade will start to "cook" the fish & it will be mushy or overdone.

Stone ground mustard on a salmon filet, wrapped in foil & grilled.

a mix of 1/3 lime juice and 2/3 soy sauce..with a little bit of red pepper flake

Missy, tried your recipe tonight. Very nice!

Thanks Chuck http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

I actually keep a small batch mixed up for just about anything. Over rice, steamed veggies, stir fry...

If you throw some of the lime zest into the mix, it tastes even better!

Yes, I know it's an oldy... :)

Any new suggestions?

Going to cedar plank charcoal grill haddock filets tonight so something that might work for that would be welcome.

Toying with honey/orange juice/cilantro but very open to other ideas

I’m not a huge fan of adding marinades or sauces to fish. Rather than enhancing the flavor, I find that it invariably masks the true fish flavor.

Having said that, as you know haddock is a very neutral fish. Not unlike it’s cousins, the cod, whiting, ling and pollock. For your preparation style, I’d suggest a marinade of Italian dressing, pineapple juice and a ginger rub beforehand. If you want a sweeter taste, go with teriyaki sauce, along with pineapple juice, a little olive oil….with the ginger rub.

Good luck!

I think the honey/orange/cilantro sounds perfect...maybe with some acid in there like rice vinegar or a little spice like siracha.
I like to coat fish (and chicken) in a mix of dijon (or any flavored mustard) & mayo and smoked paprika. It doesn't taste like mayo...the mayo just adds the fat to keep it moist and from sticking.

Same here. I'll add a lot of seasoning but not usually marinade unless it's ceviche. However, I used a store-bought one the other day on chicken thighs, but it was recommended for fish and I think it would be good on a neutral fish. It was lime, cilantro, jalapeno, and chipotle. I'm sure there was salt and other stuff in there. It would be a different take on cblaisd's idea with the citrus and cilantro plus a little spice. I would think honey might char a bit on the grill but not sure.

Thanks, all! Turned out pretty good: honey, orange juice, cilantro, and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar
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I am thawing a branzino filet. I never, ever buy fish with skin on it but I don't see this one any other way. It is not super thick and I would like to cook it on the grill. I understand that it should be cooked skin side down & hoping that it will be easy to remove the skin after cooking this way (and leave a big mess of fish skin on my grill-:eek:) When I go to flip it should I try to flip it with the skin or get the spatula between the skin and flesh? Or maybe I should just do it on non-stick foil on the grill. I prefer not to have to turn the stove on or stink up my kitchen.
Any flavor/marinades/sauce suggestions are welcome.

I haven't grilled branzino filets (I always grill it whole) but the skin should release once it's cooked. A good tip I learned when I learned how to grill a whole fish -- best way to tell if it's ready to flip is whether the skin releases with minimal effort or if it sticks, if it sticks it needs more time. That tip applies to more than just fish too).

For the whole branzino, I typically stuff it with lemon and herbs (typically rosemary), I would think you could do something similar with a filet

Should I flip the skin along with it? If so, I guess you just season that side of the flesh when you take it off the grill. I don't do whole fish....it's bad enough that the skin creeps me out---I don't need an eyeball staring at me. :p

I treat branzino, (a Mediterranean Sea bass), much like an American Black Sea bass. I also grill or broil whole. In the cavity I also add rosemary, plus garlic and butter. To prepare the skin, score very well. Rub with olive oil, then coat in kosher salt. (No worries, the fish will not come out salty). Don’t overcook!

My wife feels the same way. Thus, I decapitate her fish after cooking. You can do this before cooking if totally grossed out, but you will be losing flavor).
Yes, flip the skin with your fillet. The layer of fat beneath the skin melts…providing natural juices to the flesh. (And from a health standpoint, the beneficial Omega 3’s are there).

We enjoy Tom DOUGLAS ’ s first rub flavours - Salmon Rub - “ the best salmon in Seattle ” at Etta ’ s restaurant . The rub is a combination of paprika , thyme , and brown sugar .
Think his restaurants are temporarily closed but one can purchase jars online ?
We usually dine here when popping by Pike ‘ s Place Market ( usually a few meals at various cafes / restaurants ) .

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I made a rub of smoked paprika, lemon zest and dill.
Sauce is brown butter with dill and lemon.
It tasted very good but I still don't like dealing with the skin. The part under the skin looks anemic.

From my first attempt at grilling a whole fish and doing a fair bit of research to make sure it didn't stick, I'd say the 3 most important things are:

1. Very clean grill grates.
2. Very, very hot grill grates
3. Well oiled grill grates and well oiled fish.

To accomplish 2 I set up the fire then let put the lid on for 10 minutes. That got the grill really hot but also meant I wasn't dealing with a really hot fire. I also cooked direct with the lid on – which I hardly ever do for meat. I also let the fish sit out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so before I put it on.

Once you put the fish on don't touch it. Leave it for 5-6 minutes and when you're ready to turn it will come away.

I like both skin on and off. I much prefer skin on for grilling. I grill skin down for 3/4 of the time, basically "sacrificing" the skin which I don't want anyway, then one flip to finish the other side. I will only grill skinless in a basket, and not very often. Skinless is normally pan seared or breaded/coated and fried.
The only seafood I normally marinate is salmon and occasionally shrimp.

That's pretty much what I do all the time except I always cook skinless fish...salmon, halibut etc. If I did 5-6 minutes with this fillet it would have been overcooked. I did 4 minutes on skin side and 3 after turning it.

Missed out on responding but doesn't look like you needed any more input -- this looks delicious!

I try to ignore the part under the skin (my wife scrapes it off -- especially with salmon where that portion is gray and the rest is orange).

My 2c, for small filet you might not even need to flip it and interact with the skin, I don't usually flip my salmon (my typical fish filet). I just let it cook for 5-7 minutes and when I take it off the grill the skin usually just falls away from the filet and you can throw it away easily (or dump it down the drain).

Yes a lot of the skin stuck to the grill but I like some grill crispness on both sides. I have a couple more Branzino skin on filets in the freezer and then I am not dealing with fish skin anymore.
The only place that really gets rid of all of the salmon skin is Costco. Trader Joe and WF salmon filets both say skinless but that yucky gray stuff is there. :eek:

This is pretty much it - also, don't use any of those water/steam brushes (that you fill the handle with water). Water on the cast iron grates results in a need to season the cast iron. Until you do, everything will stick.

Years ago I worked as a broiler cook in a seafood restaurant and would stand and grill fish for hours at a time - probably a hundred+ pieces a night. Nothing like standing over a scorching hot grill for 8 hours with a sunburn and a hangover.... ah, to be young again :)

I've had the best luck with canned spray to lube the grill and the fish but be careful spraying on the grill as it will flame up.

Tender fish like Cod or Sea Bass is always a tough thing on a grill and I'll just put them foil, etc.. Salmon and Halibut are a bit more firm and hold up okay. All the tropical fish (Marlin, Tuna, Swordfish, etc.) has a nice firm texture and is generally the easiest to grill without sticking/damage.

Salmon and Halibut I tend to just go with dry rubs/spices - often Cajun of some type. But I mostly eat tropical fish with some kind of marinade. I'll generally use some combination of the following - minced garlic and/or onion, minced lemongrass, Asian fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, small amount of fruit juice.

One of the quick/easy ones I do a lot is chopped onion, oyster sauce, just a couple drops of sesame oil and a small amount of POG (passion fruit, orange, guava juice).

Unfortunately, my family doesn't care for fish or I'd eat it every night. I still get plenty though. I live part time on Maui and the Costco here has a great supply of local fish.

Spraying the grill with non-stick spray can be very dangerous. I know somebody who got bad burns on his hand--not worth it IMO.
I just put some oil in a little prep bowl and with tongs, dip some folded up paper towel in the oil and go back and forth over the grates...it cleans, seasons and oils them at the same time.

Lemon ginger grilled rockfish & coho salmon
 

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
3 (6 oz each) rockfish fillets; one coho fillet

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large zip-top food storage bag, mix together oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and salt.
2. Add fish; refrigerate and allow to marinate for about 1 hour.
3. Heat gas grill to medium-high heat or charcoal until ashes are white.
4. Oil grill grate; grill fish 3-4 minutes, flip and continue cooking 3-4 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145°F.

Adapted from https://www.pacificseafood.com/recip...lled-rockfish/

Thanks for the recipe! Just a quick note of clarification for those on the East Coast, specifically in the Chesapeake area. In Maryland and Virginia , a striped bass is called a rockfish. Do not use with this recipe. They are 2 different fish. Substitute cod, pollock, haddock, Black Sea bass, or even summer flounder (fluke) in this recipe. Thanks.

This

https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/grilled-swordfish/

was excellent.

I've used this here and there for beef, but it really shines with salmon. 1-3 hours in a ziplock bag. I rarely grill salmon without it now.
https://bellasunluci.com/products/ba...ail-pack-48-oz