Photograph by Bennett Pruitt
Here in America, when we put something on the grill, we often think of hamburgers, hot dogs, and various kinds of barbecued meats. In other countries, especially those on the beaches in warm climates, seafood and grilling has a delicious, longstanding relationship.
One of my fondest childhood memories is a seaside picnic of grilled, freshly caught seafood. My dad would get out his fishing net and wade chest-deep into the sea while we watched from the beach. We waited for probably an hour before he went back in the water to check for his catch.
My mom would get the hibachi grill ready and set up her prepared dipping sauce and side dishes from home. Before we knew it, my siblings stopped making sand castles, and dinner was served. To this day, it is still my favorite way to eat seafood.
Not everything that swims is an appropriate candidate for the grill. You want avoid delicate varieties like sole and flounder, which will fall apart over the fire unless you use whole fish and wrap it in foil or leaves. You want firm, textured fish like tuna, salmon, trout and snapper that will hold after cooking.
Other seafood such as shrimp, lobster, scallops, squids, clams and mussels are also excellent candidate for grilling.
A couple of things to remember about grilling seafood is that it's lean, so make sure to add some type of oil to the marinade; also, they cook quickly, so check them after a few minutes.
Steelhead trout is the kind of fish I like on the grill; it has a gorgeous orange hue similar to that of salmon. It takes well to strong flavors like this curried marinade.
Grilled Fish with Curried Marinade
4 fish fillets or one large fillet
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
2-4 Tablespoons red curry paste
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped Thai basil
Mix coconut milk and the rest of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Place fish in a shallow pan and pour marinade over fish, let it sit for at least an hour. Remove from marinade and grill over medium high heat for about 4-6 minutes on each side or until flaky. While fish is cooking, transfer marinade to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and serve over fish.
