Home › To Broil Fish › To Broil Fish
To Broil Fish
115. If fish is to be broiled, it must be seasoned with pepper and salt, floured, and put on a gridiron that is very clean; which, when hot, should be rubbed with a bit of suet to prevent the fish from sticking. It must be broiled on a very clear fire, that it may not taste smoky; and not too near, that it may not be scorched.
A method note rather than a dish, and the whole of it turns on the state of the fire. Everything else is preparation.
- "A very clear fire"This means glowing coals or embers with no flame and no smoke; smoke was a common fault of coal and wood fires. On a gas or charcoal grill, wait until flare-ups have died down; under a domestic broiler, preheat fully for at least 10 minutes so the element is steady.
- The gridironAn iron rack set over the coals. A ridged cast-iron grill pan over high heat, or a well-heated barbecue grate, does the same job. The rack must be hot before the fish touches it, or the skin will weld to the bars.
- Suet on the barsBeef suet was rubbed on the hot iron as a release agent. Oil on a folded paper towel, or a piece of pork fat held in tongs, works the same way.
- FlouringA thin dusting of flour over seasoned fish dries the surface and encourages browning. Shake off all excess; loose flour scorches and tastes bitter. The recipe seasons first, then flours.
- Distance from the heatFor fish up to about an inch thick, 4-5 inches from the coals or element. Thicker cuts want to be further away, 6 inches or more, so the centre cooks before the outside blackens.
- Timing and donenessThe original gives none. Reckon roughly 4-5 minutes per side for a whole herring, mackerel or small trout, 3-4 minutes per side for fillets. Fish is done at 145F at the thickest point, or when the flesh parts cleanly from the bone.
- Which fish suit the methodOily fish — herring, mackerel, sardines — and firm whole flatfish take best to a bare grate. Delicate white fillets such as sole or plaice fall apart; use a hinged fish grill or a piece of foil for those.
- TurningTurn once only, with a wide slice, and slide rather than lift so the skin stays behind on the fish rather than on the bars.