How to Keep Fish from Sticking to Your Grill

Published on Friday, May 29, 2009, by CHOW Video Team / Edit Post

How to Keep Fish from Sticking to Your Grill

Jamie Purviance, author and grillmaster, uses the 70/30 rule when grilling fish: Cook it flesh side down for 70 percent of the cooking time, and skin side down the last 30 percent. The crust that forms on the flesh will keep the fish from sticking to the grill.

Jamie, who is a grilling authority, also represents the Weber brand. He was not paid, nor did Weber in any way compensate CHOW, for his participation in this video. We just thought he knew his stuff. CHOW Tips are the shared wisdom of our community. If you’ve figured out some piece of food, drink, or cooking wisdom that you’d like to share on video (and you can be in San Francisco), email Meredith Arthur and tell us what you’ve got in mind.

ALLCHOW Tip
POST A COMMENT |7 Comments

COMMENT

  • When using my Weber for salmon I usually start by grilling the flesh for a few minutes and then flip it over. After cooking it the remaning about (5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness) I just use a spatula to pick up the fish separating it from the skin. In my view the skin sticking to the grill is fine, as I don't particular like to eat salmon skin.

  • As for grilling fish in a very hot wood fired oven, I prefer not to turn the fish at all because the heat is so intense from the dome. The convection of the oven is perfect for grilling fish containing every bit of moisture in the fish as long as it is timed well. Still, it is hard to avoid having the fish never stick to a larger grill surface. I season the grill well, spray it, and coat the fish...+READ

    As for grilling fish in a very hot wood fired oven, I prefer not to turn the fish at all because the heat is so intense from the dome. The convection of the oven is perfect for grilling fish containing every bit of moisture in the fish as long as it is timed well. Still, it is hard to avoid having the fish never stick to a larger grill surface. I season the grill well, spray it, and coat the fish with olive oil, etc... Any other tips?-COLLAPSE

  • Rub the hot grates with a cut potato and the fish won't stick - no matter how you like it.

  • I agree with OTFOODIE. I like to start with the skin side down so the skin gets all crispy and the flesh stays moist. it's a nice contrast to the crusty skin and the skin tastes amazing when it's crunchy like that.

  • I BBQ wonderful salmon doing the entire cooking skin side down, leaving the flesh to have a lovely, soft texture.

  • While I respect the grilling expertise of the Weber chef, I don't agree that all fish flesh has to have a crust. It seems to be the current habit of too many restaurant chefs to create a crust, but that takes away so much from the beautiful texture and flavor of the fish. Not all of us prefer cremated fish. Okay sorry, that wasn't fair, but fish is at its best when the natural textures are...+READ

    While I respect the grilling expertise of the Weber chef, I don't agree that all fish flesh has to have a crust. It seems to be the current habit of too many restaurant chefs to create a crust, but that takes away so much from the beautiful texture and flavor of the fish. Not all of us prefer cremated fish. Okay sorry, that wasn't fair, but fish is at its best when the natural textures are respected.-COLLAPSE

  • Even better is to use a grill basket. They are fool-proof unlike the technique mentioned above