The proximity to an open flame. The consuming resonance of intense, unapologetic heat. The confluence of elements, of fire and water. There’s just something about grilling (even indoors on a grill pan!) that imparts a distinct deliciousness on a delicate protein like seafood. And yet, the idea of grilling seafood can also raise a specter of anxiety among home cooks: What if the fish sticks to the grill??
With a few essential tidbits of knowledge and tweaks to your grilling technique, I promise you that that question will fade into wisps of fragrant smoke. After a little practice, you’ll be asking yourself, with confidence, What should I grill today?
In short, the essentials are a clean, hot grill, a good spatula, and seafood that’s been patted dry (or, alternatively, briefly marinated). From there, you can grill practically any type of wild-caught seafood from Alaska, but I’m partial to a few species:
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Sockeye salmon fillets: Between the two species of salmon that WAC offers, sockeye is my go-to. It’s a bit firmer in texture than coho and has a bolder flavor to match up with the flavors of the grill. Whichever variety of salmon you use, make sure to leave the skin on for cooking. Even if you don’t end up eating it in the end, the skin helps to keep the fish moist as it cooks. And even if the skin sticks to the grill, you still have a full fillet intact that can pull away from the skin for easy flipping.
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Pacific halibut steaks or fillets: As a hearty, meaty fish, Pacific halibut is my favorite white species to enjoy grilled. Bone-in Pacific halibut steaks are especially nice to use, as they’re a bit easier to flip, since the grain of the fish lies perpendicular to the surface of the grill.
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Rockfish: Rockfish is another top choice for me, with its robust flavor and broader surface area (grill marks galore). The caveat to this choice is that it’s super flaky… and happens to be perfectly sized to fall through the grates. As a culinary insurance policy, I usually grill rockfish with the help of a grill grid.
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Ground sockeye salmon: Naturally, I love a salmon burger, and making them with ground sockeye is super easy to do. The patties can be a bit delicate in texture, so as with rockfish, I usually cook these on a grill grid if I’m not cooking them in a pan.
Before you start grilling, I highly recommend that you review some of our top tips and techniques for grilling seafood so that you’re setting yourself up for succulent success. Then, try your hand at one of these new-to-the-blog recipes:
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: Fillets of salmon and slices of lemon and orange, kissed by the flame with a flourish of grill marks. A spoonful of sweet and smoky orange-lemon relish garnishes the platter.
