BBQ, barbie, barbecue, barbeque or braai: cooking over an open fire is popular worldwide. Whether you’re lighting the firepit, a gas-powered barbecue or a small hibachi, here are some of my favourite seafood barbecue recipes perfect for grilling; you can even cook them indoors on a char-grill pan.
Brush or rub the seafood with oil rather than oiling the barbecue – this will minimise excess smoke.
Cut 3 or 4 deep slashes into the sides of whole fish, through to the bone, before cooking – this helps them cook evenly.
Use firm-textured fish on the barbecue – such as swordfish, salmon and tuna. Where possible, cook them with the skin on skin-side down until the flesh is opaque two-thirds of the way up the side, then turn them over and cook the other side for just a minute. Remove the skin before serving if you prefer not to eat it.
Use banana leaves (or aluminium foil lined with baking paper) to wrap fish into parcels with seasonings before barbecuing. Learn how to cook in banana leaves here.
Prawns, lobsters, bugs and other shellfish are great barbecued. Always use green (uncooked) shellfish, as reheating cooked shellfish makes them tough. Grill split shellfish shell-side down to protect the delicate flesh. Details (and video) here.
Prawns and firm-fleshed fish are great for all sorts of seafood kebabs, flavoured with Asian, Mediterranean or Middle Eastern seasonings.
