5. Always grill your fish over a hot to medium-hot fire. To test this, hold your hand about 5 inches above your heat source. Your fire is hot if you can only hold it there for about 2 seconds. Three or four seconds would indicate a medium-hot fire. When cooking whole fish instead of fillets, you will want a slightly lower temperature as the cooking time will be longer.
6. So how long do I leave my fish on the grill? A good rule of thumb is about 10 minutes for every inch of thickness. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but your recipe should note this if that is the case. Fish is done when its color turns opaque and just begins to flake with a fork. A little underdone is better than overdone as your fish will continue to cook after it's taken off the grill.7. Marinades are great to add additional flavor to fish. Marinate your fish for only 30 to 60 minutes before grilling. Because of their lack of connective tissue, fish absorbs marinades easily. Do not over-marinade, or the flavors may overpower the flavor of your fish.
8. Do I need to baste my fish? When grilling, baste lean fish periodically with your favorite basting liquid or olive oil. This will help keep the fish moist. Basting is not really necessary with fattier fish, but you may wish to do so for more flavor.
