Tips to keep your fish fresh in the outdoors, and the best way to barbecue it!

24th August, 2021

Fish is one of the healthiest foods you can prepare for your outdoor adventure. And with the proper portable BBQ and BBQ grill, you can enjoy the delicious flavours of grilled fish and seafood during your next camping trip, even if you’re nowhere near the ocean! 

Here’s how you can keep your fish fresh for an outdoor trip, and how to cook it properly on the grill.
 

To keep the fish fresh

To preserve the flavour as much as possible, keep the fish chilled with ice from the time it’s caught until it’s time to clean and cook it. Just keep in mind that you should be aiming to clean the fish as soon as possible. 

Put the fish on ice

Chilling the fish with ice is the easiest way to store it for transport. Place the fish in an insulated cooler or esky filled with ice, and make sure that the drain plug is open to remove the icy water, as water can actually make the fish become “soggy”. 

Refrigerate the fish

Before refrigerating the fish, make sure you clean, scale and gut it. Wash it with cold water and dry it with a clean cloth or paper towels. Wrap the clean fish in waxed paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil before storing it in the refrigerator. 

Freeze the fish

For the freshest results possible, freezing the fish is the way to go. Before freezing it, it’s important to prepare the fish first to retain its flavour. Clean, scale and gut the fish before freezing it for storage. 

To enjoy grilled fish

Now that you know how to correctly store fish and keep it fresh for transport, it’s time to think about how best to grill it!

Choosing a fish cut

Before firing up the grill, first choose what kind of fish cut you’ll want to serve.

• Fish fillet: comes from the thick side of fish, showing a skin side and a flesh side, with the bones largely removed
• Fish steak: cross-section cut from large fish species, with a thickness of no less than 25mm
• Whole fish: requires minimal preparation but can be challenging to eat as it has most of the skin and bones still present

Leaving the skin on the fish helps keep its moisture while also helping retain its shape. It also acts as a heat barrier to keep the meat from being burned by the flame of the grill.

Prepping the fish

• Rinse: Wash with cold water and remove all debris clinging to the meat of the fish
• Dry: Wrap or dab the fish with a paper towel to blot out the excess moisture
• Debone: Remove any bones that may be protruding from the flesh
• Cut: Make cuts every 7cm or so along the sides if you’re cooking a whole fish; this will help ensure the innermost parts are cooked well
• Brush: Apply oil on both sides of the fish, regardless of the cut
• Season: Add flavour as you prefer; you can lightly season with salt and pepper or use your own marinade or mixture with herbs and citrus

Grilling the fish

• Remember that when grilling fish, the internal temperature of the fish should reach at least 63℃ before serving. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the cut. 
• Most fish can be grilled directly on the grate, though a wooden plank can be used for the more delicate fish steaks. Cedar planks are especially popular for enhancing the smoky flavour. 
• Grilling fish makes it lose moisture faster than most meats. So keep an eye on the grill and flip the fish as soon as it’s cooked at least halfway through. A 2.5cm thick cut of fish takes about 10 minutes to cook thoroughly over medium-hot coals.

Enjoy memorable fish meals with Gasmate BBQ grill products! 

Gasmate is an iconic Australian brand that supplies innovative BBQ products. Aside from electric BBQ units, our range also includes alfresco products, bar fridges & range hoods, smokers & spits, pizza ovens and heaters.

Find a Gasmate stockist near you here or call 1300174876 for more info.