Just typing the words “grilling Rockfish” makes it feel like summer. For instance,
“What are you doing for dinner?”
“Me? Oh, I’m grilling Rockfish.”
The words immediately conjure up images of backyards, hot grills, fresh fish and delicious meals. It’s not just the words, however, that make you want to put on a pair of shorts, lie back in a lounge chair and grab a glass of white wine. If you actually get out there and grill some Rockfish you’ll see that the feeling of summer will be upon you in no time. I experienced this over the weekend and can testify to its truth.
For those of you unfamiliar with Rockfish, there are more than 70 species of Rockfish living off the West Coast of North America. Pacific Rockfish is a firm, lean, mildly-flavored, pink-fleshed fish. It is sometimes marketed as Snapper, Red Snapper, or Pacific Snapper on the west coast. (True Red Snapper, however, is an Atlantic fish.) Pacific Rockfish is a very approachable fish. It’s delicious with an almost sweet flavor, tender and flakey, and appeals to both the fish-lover and those who have just started to incorporate fish into their weekly diet (which we should all be trying to do!).
There are so many ways to prepare Pacific Rockfish. It’s easy and versatile. The simplest method of cooking it is to simply take the fillet, dredge it in some flour and fry it in a little oil or butter (or both). If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could batter and fry Pacific Rockfish for a proper fish-and-chip dinner, or for a tempura dinner with a soy dipping sauce. The fish is firm enough to withstand a robust sauce, like the Veracruz style sauce in the photo below.
I’ve also oven-roasted Pacific Rockfish, popping it under the broiler for the last few seconds with great success.
Grilling the Pacific Rockfish, however, is a real treat. Fish in general are well-suited to grilling, because the hot and fast cooking method helps keep the fish moist and flavorful. I know what you’re saying – grilling fish intimidates you because it always sticks or falls apart on the grill. Well, just for you, here are some important tips for grilling fish:
- Make sure you start with a very clean grill. Pre-heat the grill for several minutes and brush off any residue with a grill brush. Then, lightly oil the grill. I have found that one of the best ways to do this is to cut an onion in half across its equator, spike the root end with a carving fork and dip the cut half into some oil. Brush the oiled onion half over the grill and it will clean and season your grill beautifully.
- Dry the fish very well. If the fish is wet, it will be more likely to stick to the grill.
- Lightly brush the fish with oil.
- Season the fish with kosher or coarse salt. The salt helps create a barrier between the fish and the grill.
- Place the fish fillet across the grill grates (not in line with the grill grates). The less flesh that comes in contact with the grill grates, the easier it will be to flip.
- Step back. Leave the fish alone for several minutes, fighting the urge to flip it. If you try to flip it too soon, you’ll tear the fillet. Just know that you will cook the fish longer on the first side than on the second.
- Flip the fish fillet with a large thin metal spatula. Press down on the grill grates, and slide the spatula towards you and under the fish. If the fish resists, give it another 30 seconds and try again.
If you follow these simple rules, grilling fish is no longer intimidating and the rewards far outweigh any concern you might have over grilling. What’s the worst that could happen – you’ll end up with two pieces of fish from one fillet, but in time and with practice, grilling fish will be a breeze.
