When grilling fish, one of the most tedious tasks is having to keep picking up the grill basket or plate and washing it down after each piece of fish you put in. Most people have experienced this!
A grill basket or plate comes in very handy when baking or smoking meat or seafood. You can just place the food onto the grill basket and cook it directly on the burners. This saves you time as you do not need to wash the items separately.
Some foods cannot be cooked without a grill pan or grill plate so they are needed to make sure every part gets properly charred and smoked. Having a grill plate or basket helps ensure this happens since you do not need to use them sometimes. They also help keep your hungry guests happy as there is always an adequate supply available!
This article will go into more detail about how to use a grill plate or basket for cooking fish. There are two types of grill baskets that differ based on if the handles are made of plastic or metal.
Put a piece of non-stick foil on the surface of the grill basket
Now, let’s talk about how to use this tool. First thing first, you will need to make sure your grill is hot enough! When using a grill basket with fish, it is helpful to have a plate or serving dish that can hold the cooked fish so that you do not have to turn it onto a plate later.
Once the grill gets close to being hot enough, put a few sheets of heavy duty paper napkins in the baking sheet to keep the grill basket cool. Once it is cooled down, remove the grill basket and wash it under cold water to prevent burning.
To cook the fish using the grill basket, place it on the grill and cover it. Since there is no handle, you will have to flip the fish by lifting one end and setting it back down on the other side.
Put the fish in the grill basket
After washing your new favorite food item, put it in its own compartment of the grill basket! This will keep the meat or chicken separate from the hot grilling surface, limiting any sticking or burning.
The same goes for the grill basket! Make sure there are no holes that could burn your entrée. If you find that some holes have closed up during cooking, don’t worry! That just means it is more cooked and can be eaten sooner!
Once both are ready, take the grill basket off the cook-top and either serve the meal directly out of the basket or use the handle as an additional plate.
Add more foil under the fish
When cooking thin fillets such as trout or flounder, there is an area of the grill where no fuel can burn. This is because it does not have enough space to sputter and ignite the foil you use to cover the grill.
In this situation, your food will either get burned or go hungry due to lack of smokey flavor and texture. To solve this problem, add another piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil that covers the same surface area as the first one. Simply cut the second sheet in half and layer it on top of the cooked meat!
This trick works perfectly with grilled chicken and beef, and is totally free.
Grill the fish
When it comes time to grill your fish, you will need to start with how to use a grill basket. A grill basket is an easy way to prepare the fish.
You can either cook the fish directly on the grill or in the oven depending on whether it has been prepared like this before. If it has, then baking may be easier as there are no special instructions other than making sure it does not stick while cooking.
If the fish has not been grilled before, then make sure to give it an even heat so that it cooks all the way through and flake easily. Make sure to test if it is done by grabbing a piece and touching it with your hand- when it feels moist and soft, it is cooked!
Once it is ready, put the grill basket into the hot grill to keep warm and to hold up any leftover pieces of fish. You want to make sure that it stays heated until the rest of the food is finished being cooked.
Take off the foil under the fish
The most difficult part of grilling any kind of meat or seafood is getting those grill marks! Grilling recipes usually call for putting the food onto a grill plate or basket and then covering it with an aluminum foil “grill bag” that has holes in it.
The tricky thing about this tip is whether to use a whole-loaf-sized grill basket or individual grilled cheese sandwich size baskets.
If you are cooking thinner foods like fillets, cutbacks are okay, but if your food is thicker (like chicken breasts) then using a grill basket is not needed because they tend to stick more. So, feel free to skip this tip when baking, broiling, or boiling meats.
Another important factor to know is how to cook your food depending on what kind of grill you have! Some grills only work at very high temperatures which may actually burn your food. Make sure to check out our tips here.
Serve the fish
After cooking your grill-cooked fish, you will want to serve it immediately! If using fresh fish, let it cool down slightly before serving it because it will stick to the basket.
If using frozen fish, let it thaw in the refrigerator until ready to plate.
To keep your grilled meat or seafood separate from the grill pan, use greaseproof (or butter) paper towels to soak up any excess fat. This prevents the burnt bits of food from sticking to the grill pan.
When washing the grill pan, make sure to scrape off all the charred bits that may remain! They can contain raw eggs, salt, or other ingredients so these should be removed to ensure no bacteria grows.
Once done, wash both under hot water and then air dry thoroughly. You do not need to melt the grease down as this creates more harmful chemicals. Instead, just rinse and wipe away the excess oil.
Enjoy your meal
As we mentioned, using a grill basket makes it easy to turn your grilled meat or fish into delicious food. However, before you use one of these cookware accessories, there are some things that you should know about them!
Grill baskets can sometimes get hot while cooking, so make sure to handle them with care. Also, remember that different brands of grill baskets vary in size and shape, which could affect how good your cooked foods taste.
Luckily, we have more tips here for you. After all, what good is an article about how to use a grill basket if people cannot learn anything from it? So keep reading!
We will go over several types of grill baskets as well as tips and tricks for using each one. Hopefully, this article will help you choose the right one for your needs and recipes!
Disclaimer: The content in this article was created by the writer for GreatDishesOnline.com with inspiration from Anabelle of My Cooking Channel.
Take the grill basket off the heat
After you broil or grill your fish, one of the first things you should do is let it rest in the grill pan or baking sheet it was cooked on.
This way, it has an opportunity to cool down and set properly. Once it is cooled, you can then easily transfer it to the plate to serve.