Grilled fish can be real easy and very tasty. In this post I have a pile of speckled trout filets that I split into two batches. I cooked them with two different techniques using the same ingredients. Both ways are easy but yield slightly different results. I used some speckled trout; this would work well with any other firm white flesh fish (flounder, tilapia).
I started by coating the fish liberally with Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic seasoning. There isn’t anything remarkable about this blend, it was available and I like it. If you want to make your own I would suggest an equal part mixture of lemon pepper seasoning, paprika and Italian seasoning (dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc) with just a touch of brown sugar.
For “Batch A” I sliced a couple of lemons into thin rounds and used them to line the bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan.
I placed the seasoned trout on top of the lemons, added a few pats of butter and sealed the pan with a piece of aluminum foil.
For “Batch B” I tore off a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and gave one side a quick spray with some Pam.
I had pre-heated my Weber Genesis on High for fifteen minutes. I placed the foil covered pan on the left side of the grill and the aluminum sheet on the right side of the grill (oiled side up). I placed the rest of the seasoned trout directly on the oiled aluminum and shut the lid.
After 10 minutes I opened the lid and basted the fish on the foil sheet with a 50:50 mix of melted butter and lemon juice. I closed the lid and let the fish cook thee minutes longer. All three burners were on High the entire time.
After 13 minutes of grilling I took both batches off the grill. The fish that was on the foil did not cleanly release. I had to gently work a spatula under them and give them a little encouragement. No big deal. The fish in the foil pan was a little difficult to get out; the filets wanted to fall apart. No big deal; just work slow and pay attention.
Here the two batches are side by side. The fish from the pan is on the right; the fish from the foil sheet is on the left.
There were some differences in the final product between the two methods. The fish from the pan had a more intense lemon and butter flavor; not surprising since it was cooked on a bed of steaming lemons. The fish that was grilled on the foil sheet had a more intense “grilled” appearance. In my opinion, “Batch A” tasted better and “Batch B” looked better. There is no right and wrong here; whatever floats your boat.
You can serve these straight up with some standard side dishes or use them as a starting point for some killer fish tacos.
I have learned not to cook fish directly on the grill grates. I have also stopped trying to use one of those “fish grilling baskets”. Some people have success with those techniques; I don’t like them.
Thanks for looking!
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