The smell of fish on the grill, of ozone and salt, smoke and thyme. A scent of seaside and forest. But the outdoor grill has now returned to its home under the stairs – until next summer. The griddle, a rectangular plank of ridged cast iron, blackened by use and careless washing, is a good second best. And then there's always the overhead grill inside the oven. OK so you won't get the smokey flavours and charcoal smell of the barbecue, but the skin of a mackerel will crisp, the edges of a butterflied sardine will blacken, and there will be sizzle and crackle.
This week there have been more than a few fish on or under my grill. The griddle saw a handful of hand-dived scallops, tossed in olive oil, chopped lemon thyme and a crushed, tiny clove of garlic then left on the hot, ridged pan for barely a minute on each side. They appeared at the table with rocket leaves and lemon. There was squid, too, cooked for what seemed like only seconds, tossed into a crisp dressing of breadcrumbs, pine kernels and orange. The griddle is a piece of kit that has been in use all summer, for prawns, signal crayfish (split, grilled and served with soft butter in which we had stirred coarse sea salt and shredded basil) and some mackerel to eat with a tomato and oregano salad.
Some people prefer to griddle their fish without any oil, dressing it only when it comes off the heat. This method does cut out the plumes of smoke that fug up the kitchen and set off the fire detector, but it increases the risk of the seafood sticking. I oil mine lightly. But I have taken to leaving sardines, mackerel and even salmon in a herbed marinade before lowering them on to the grill. We are not talking about a long marinade here, as you might do lamb or chicken, but barely half an hour or so. Chopped lemon thyme, rosemary and dried oregano will lend a Mediterranean note, and all three will stand up to a little garlic.
Cooking on a griddle or under a grill gives many fish a fine, brittle skin. The same skin you might normally scrape off and discard before eating suddenly becomes delicious, especially – and maybe this is just a personal thing – that moment when lemon juice hits the lightly charred edges.
Rather than doing a fish-and-two veg set-up, I have taken to sandwiching my grilled fish between pieces of bread – either a crisp baguette or something floury and soft, sometimes with a slick of mayonnaise. Alternatively, a salsa, bright with finely diced tomatoes and sweet vinegar, makes an arresting accompaniment while taking the dish up a notch or two. Grilled fish for any occasion.
Grilled squid, pine kernel and parsley crumbs
Ask your fishmonger to prepare the squid for you. You need the body sack complete and the tentacles. When you get home, check it carefully and rinse thoroughly. Serves two as main dish.
olive oil 6 tbsp
anchovy fillets 8
pine kernels 50g
parsley a good handful
grated zest 1 small orange
breadcrumbs 100g
squid (including body sack and tentacles) 500g
Warm the olive oil in a shallow pan. Finely chop the anchovy fillets then add them to the olive oil. Roughly chop the pine kernels, toss them in the pan and let them colour lightly, then add the breadcrumbs. Let the breadcrumbs colour lightly, turning pale gold, tossing them regularly so they don't burn.
Roughly chop the parsley and finely grate the orange zest, then stir it into the hot crumbs with a grinding of black pepper. Set aside.
Rinse the squid, then cut the body sacks into thin rings and set the tentacles aside. Heat a griddle pan, then, when it is really hot, cook the squid for a minute or two until the flesh is opaque and the edges are very lightly singed. Transfer the hot squid to the breadcrumbs, toss gently and serve.
Grilled sardines with tomatoes and lemon thyme
Ask the fishmonger to butterfly the sardines for you. If not, do it yourself, but take your time. Split each little fish up the belly then snip out the backbone with apair of scissors, opening the flesh up like abook as you go. It is fiddly, but much, much better than dealing with the pesky bones of finger-sized fish on your plate. Serves four as a light meal or starter.
butterflied sardines 8
lemons juice of 2
lemon thyme 8 sprigs
tomatoes 2, large vine
olive oil 4 tbsp
sherry vinegar 2 tbsp
Cut the sides, top and bottom from each tomato, so you are left with a square central core. Cut the flesh into fine dice, place in a bowl, pour in the olive oil, season, then add a few thyme leaves, finely chopped, and a few flowers if you have them. Chill in the refrigerator.
Squeeze the tomato core out into asmall pan, then discard the pulp. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, pour in the vinegar, then add the whole thyme sprigs and stir them in with a little salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to the boil, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
Check the sardines thoroughly for any stray bones, then place them, skin-side down, on a foil-lined tray or grill pan. The foil will save washing up. Spoon some of the infused tomato juices over the sardines then grill them for five or six minutes until pale gold.
Divide the chilled tomato salsa between four plates. Place a grilled, butterflied sardine on top of each, then spoon over any of the cooking juices and serve.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk
