Five perfect fish for the barbecue
You clamp the fish between the barbecue rack, grill it until it looks perfect and then… everything falls apart, the fish sticks to the grill and falls onto the coals. And that’s how you find out: not all fish is suitable for barbecuing. These five fish never fail.
1. Salmon
Whether it’s a salmon steak or salmon fillet, it doesn’t matter: salmon stays firm and retains its distinctive flavor. Grease the grill with a little oil to prevent the salmon from sticking and let the salmon cook itself loose; once the salmon is done, you can easily lift it from the grill. So don’t turn it more than once, otherwise you’ll be left with nothing but salmon flakes. Extra delicious: cook the salmon on a cedarwood grilling plank for a lovely smoky flavor.
2. Swordfish
Not cheap, but incredibly delicious. Swordfish is a firm fish that you can easily grill threaded onto skewers or as one whole piece. With caper butter, mmm.
3. Tuna
A beautiful red piece of tuna is simply crying out for a barbecue grill. So delicious when it’s still red inside and beautifully seared on the outside. With soy sauce and some wakame, or with a Southern French antiboise! Pay attention to which tuna you buy, because not all tuna is equally sustainable. Yellowfin tuna is listed in the Fish Guide as a sustainable choice.
4. Mackerel
We often eat it smoked or steamed, but fresh mackerel from the grill is of course more than perfect. And you’ll be amazed at how inexpensive mackerel is. Ask the fishmonger to cut fillets for you or place the whole fish on your little grill, optionally wrapped and spicy-marinated into Indonesian Pepesan Ikan (smoked mackerel with lots of sambal and typical Indonesian flavors)—it’s a real treat.
5. Sardines
True fish lovers need nothing more than fresh sardines and a fire. Make those sardines extra delicious with plenty of garlic and parsley, grill them briefly and eat them whole, skin and all. Find fish with their heads still on a little scary? Ask the fishmonger to butterfly them.
