FISH IN A KETTLE

Q  Hey, Great site! My gram's from Melbourne. How would you
grill a whole fish fillet in a kettle without it going to pieces?

Thanks,

Chris Blue (no, really!)

Melrose

Massachusetts

A Hello Chris Really Blue. Does the fish have to be filleted?

You can buy fish holders from places like Barbecues Galore that make it

easy to cook whole fish.

Fillets don't have bones and skin to hold them together so it's up to you to
provide some sort of support so the fish doesn't fall through the grill
surface.

A piece of metal with very small holes will let heat penetrate from below (I
think you can buy these in the US - they're mainly used for cooking shrimp).
Or you can make simple trays out of aluminium foil to hold the fillets (one
for each fillet) - just oil them so the flesh doesn't stick and come away in
bits. I would resist the temptation to turn the fillets if you're using this
method (but you will have to use the Weber's lid and bake rather than
grill). Just cook and serve in their individual trays. Add a few sprigs of
dill or cilantro, some thinly sliced lemon and a grind of fresh black pepper
before serving with a smug smile.

There are always exceptions and in this case it's dense fillets from
creatures like swordfish or tuna. These can be cooked pretty much like beef
steaks and whacked directly on the cooking surface - just don't think about
the mercury levels in large fish!

Remember to toss a few wood chunks on the Weber so you can get some smoke
flavour through the fillets (another good reason to leave the lid on the
Weber).


BBQ (not really) Blue

Back