Whole fishWhole Fish Grilled Over Charcoal
A whole fish over coals is the simplest good thing you can cook, and the skin sticking to the grate is the only real obstacle.
ShellfishCharcoal Grilled Octopus
Octopus needs two entirely different cooking processes: a long gentle simmer to tenderise, then a violent short char. Skip either and you get rubber.
ShellfishGarlic Charcoal Prawn Skewers
Prawns take about four minutes and are ruined by five. Shell on, skewered flat, over a hot bed, and off before you think.
FilletsCharcoal Grilled Salmon Fillets
Salmon is fatty enough to survive a charcoal fire and delicate enough to be destroyed by it. The answer is skin-side down over moderate heat, and pulling it earlier than feels right.
FilletsSeared Tuna Steak on Charcoal
Tuna is a steak that happens to come from the sea. Treat it like one: a fierce fire, ninety seconds a side, and a raw ruby centre.
Whole fishCharcoal Grilled Sardines
The cheapest, most Mediterranean thing you can put over coals. Whole sardines, salt, fierce heat and lemon, eaten with your fingers.
ShellfishGrilled Garlic Prawns, Gambas Style
The Spanish tapas classic taken outside: prawns cooked in garlic, chilli and olive oil on a plancha over the coals, the oil catching the smoke.
ShellfishGrilled Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter
Lobster sounds intimidating and is genuinely easy over coals. Split the tails, baste with garlic butter, and cook flesh side down then up. Ten minutes, no boiling pot.
Whole fishWhole Grilled Mackerel
Mackerel is oily, cheap and sustainable, and its richness stands up to fierce heat and sharp flavours better than almost any other fish. Score it, grill it, hit it with something acidic.
At a glance
| Recipe | Method | Grill temp | Cook time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Fish Grilled Over Charcoal | Direct heat | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 16 min | 55°C (130°F) |
| Charcoal Grilled Octopus | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 1 hr 15 min | Tender |
| Garlic Charcoal Prawn Skewers | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 6 min | 50°C (120°F) |
| Charcoal Grilled Salmon Fillets | Two-zone cooking | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 12 min | 50°C (125°F) |
| Seared Tuna Steak on Charcoal | Direct heat | 290°C (550°F) and above | 3 min | 45°C (110°F) |
| Charcoal Grilled Sardines | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 6 min | Opaque |
| Grilled Garlic Prawns, Gambas Style | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 6 min | 50°C (120°F) |
| Grilled Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 10 min | 60°C (140°F) |
| Whole Grilled Mackerel | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 10 min | Opaque |
Techniques used
Direct heat. Food straight over the coals. Fast, fierce, and finished before the inside overcooks. Two-zone cooking. Coals banked to one side: a searing zone and a gentle zone in one grill. The single most useful technique in charcoal cooking.
Cookers these suit
Drum smokers. Foukou rotisseries. Kamado grills. Kettle grills. Portable grills.