Bill
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the fish is safe and not overcooked and dried out.
My personal recommendations for charcoal or wood with fish are single species types:
Silver Birch – consummate favourite of many, which gives a light mineral like flavour that matches well with all seafood, particularly shellfish.
Ash - burns hot and long giving a light rounded smoke flavour and is a good all-rounder in wood and charcoal form.
Alder – long steady burning wood which gives medium fragrant smoke flavour suited to fish and white meats, works particularly well with salmon and sea trout.
I have included a seasonal guide below with some basic recipe ideas or cooking methods which you will hopefully want to give a few a try, as I do, cooking seafood on the bbq all year around…
January Whiting – white flaky fish often called ‘the chicken of the sea’, great grilled on a plancha or directly over charcoal. Shellfish in season – mussels and oysters.
February Lemon Sole – fantastic bbq roasted whole on the bone. Also bass and bream cooked whole on the bbq. Shellfish in season – scallops, oysters and mussels.
March Pollack – great alternative for cod or haddock and works well in a fish pie and given a smokey edge when cooked or smoked on the bbq. Shellfish in season – clams, scallops, mussels and oysters.
April Squid - one of my absolute favourites on the bbq directly grilled simply with chilli, black pepper and garlic or with a Chermoula. Gurnard is also in season and is a very unrated fish which cooks well on the bbq and is a personal favourite of mine. Shellfish in season – clams, scallops, mussels and oysters.
May Monkish tails - very tasty cooked whole on the bone or as the two fillets, directly grilled for the classic bbq flavours or with a Cuban rub to be sliced and eaten in soft tacos with a tomato, onion and lime salsa. Shellfish in season – clams, scallops, mussels and oysters.
June Turbot - hard to beat cooked whole over live fire and served with wild garlic butter. Brill is a very good alternative. Shellfish in season – lobster, oysters and scallops, all fantastic cooked on the shell over live fire.
July Mackerel - cooked whole or butterfly filleted simply seasoned with salt and black pepper then grilled hot to char the skin and add the ultimate bbq flavour hit. Shellfish in season – crab, lobster and mussels.
August Red Mullet – stunning fish for the bbq, directly grilled whole with rosemary, salt and black pepper, definitely in my all-time top three. Shellfish in season - Shellfish in season – crab, lobster, oysters, scallops and mussels.
September Sardines, an oily fish and classic grilled whole particularly over live fire using olive wood or on the bbq using hot burning grilling charcoal like birch or even hornbeam. Shellfish in season – scallops, mussels, oysters and clams.
October Mussels are fantastic this time of year cooked as La Mouclade, a curry flavoured sauce with cognac served with warm fresh bread. Fish in season – Skate cooked classically cooked in brown butter served with capers, this can be cooked very successfully over live fire using a cast iron pan.
November Megrim Sole, English classic fish common on the South West coast with a sweet, refined flavour, again best cooked simply grilled or pan fried over the fire. Shellfish in season - Shellfish in season – clams, oysters, scallops and mussels.
December Hake, a firm favourite with a firm creamy white flesh which flakes well when cooked. Works best cooked on cast iron or a plancha on the bbq or over a wood fire where it can be left to get a crust when cut as thick steaks across the bone or as large thick skin-on fillets, but be careful not to over-cook. Shellfish in season – clams, lobster, oysters, scallops and mussels.