I have never grilled fish, do i need one of those fish basket made for a grill?

Just wrap them in aluminium foil after seasoning them.

Nope, you can use foil.

but then you dont get those nice grill lines/flavor on the fish :(

you also do not get those nice carcinogens from burnt parts of the fish

If you’re grillin’ big salmon steaks, you shouldn’t even need foil. Just turn ‘em once or twice (spray the grill with Pam first) and you’re done!

@ragingloli wtf is the point of a grill without that though

This website explains various methods for grilling fish, as well as which kinds of fish work for each method.

I’ve never cooked grouper, but if it is thick and holds together well, like salmon, you can just cook it on the grill. If it’s more like flounder or sole, it will fall apart and you’ll lose most of it through the grill grates. In that case, you can use a foil packet or a fish basket. The basket will also give the grill lines and flavor that @uberbatman mentioned.

@ragingloli – you say “carcinogens”, I say “carmelizing”!

Wrapping in foil will steam the fish instead of grilling it. A basket can help with thin, flaky fish but then there’s the danger of it sticking to the basket.

The best way I’ve found to grill fish is over medium-high heat. Let the grill grate get nice & hot first – heat for at least ten minutes. Then scrub the grate clean and oil well. Put the fish on and don’t futz with it. After four minutes, check to see if it has good grill marks and pulls away easily. Gently flip it over onto a clean part of the grill grate and cook another three minutes or as long as it needs for the fish to flake. Gently lift off with a long spatula and transfer to the plate directly.

Grill without foil if the skin is still on the fish, skin side down. No need to turn over.
Foil is the best method. Or use a cedar plank. (properly soaked before using)

Fish baskets make it easier to avoid losing the fish when you turn it (because when it is done it flakes so easily. I love mine. I bough it at a garage sale.

I don’t know why but grilling fish is always such a pain- but it is my favorite way to eat fish. I know people who use foil and it works just fine, but if you have a little extra money and want something really good- cedar plank salmon is great. You can get a book and it will give you many recipes on how to cook with cedar plank, and cedar plank can be bought at any home cooking store. You can get them for under 20 bucks.

If we’re talking cedar planks, here’s the plan: skip the Williams-Sonoma gouging and buy a plain (untreated) cedar fence plank at Home Depot. Have them cut it into whatever length fits your grill. You’ll get four – six planks out of a single $4 board.

@Dave – “skip the Williams-Sonoma gouging” – I love it.

@PupnTaco has a great point. I want to re-stress. UNTREATED. :-)

Yeah, wood stain or creosote is not tasty!

I grill cod directly on the grate and rarely have any trouble. When shopping for fish, look for Captain’s Cut. It is the thicker filet.

I spray the grate with cooking spray and coat the fish with a mixture of melted butter and onion and a splash of white wine (I sometimes use vermouth). Put the butter side down on the grate for four minutes or so, and coat the ‘up’ side. Then flip and let the other side cook for about the same time. The grill makes are evident and there is little to no sticking.

I was very surprised because I thought the onion would overpower the fish and that did not happen either.

You can also use cast iron on the grill instead of foil if you do not want to place fish right on the grilling surface. This is a good way to cook scallops and not the lingering aftersmell in the house.