It is summer time, and here in Iowa it has been hot…. damn hot! When it gets a little hot, sometimes you have to bring in the lighter guns for dinner, and tonight we are making Buttery Basil Grilled Halibut. Every time I make fresh fish on the grill I love it and I wonder why I do not do it more often. Give this Buttery Basil Grilled Halibut a try and you will hit the seafood market more often as well!
Purchasing Fish
My favorites for grilling are Halibut, Sea Bass (especially Chilean), Swordfish, and Salmon. If halibut is not available, give any of these fish a try. When purchasing your fish go somewhere with quality fresh fish. That is the most important part. If you are only buying fish once a month, then make it count! In Des Moines, I like Whole Foods or Waterfront Seafood Market. Feel free to ask the fish monger when they received the fish or if it has been frozen.
When grilling, I am also looking for a large piece of fish with the skin on. It help holds the meat together and also acts as a moisture barrier when finishing the fish on the grill skin side down. Purchase about 6-8 ounces of fish per person.
Seasoning Fish
Halibut has a nice mild taste that could take on many different flavors well. Today we are going to season it with a salty BBQ rub and then infuse it with the richness of butter and the brightness of basil while on the grill. Add a few grilled peppers and zucchini on the grill, and you have a great dinner in the works. Check out my post on grilling veggies here for more information.
For seasoning fish, I love Plowboys Yardbird Rub, and that is what I am using today. It is a great rub for chicken too, but I love it for fish. It has a good amount of salt with a little kick of heat. Season both sides of the fish gently with the seasoning, then coat both sides of the fish with olive oil. Let it marinate for 20 minutes before grilling. An alternative to BBQ rub is using freshly cracked pepper and course sea salt. Season both sides before coating with olive oil.
Buttery Basting Sauce and Basil Infusion
To bring our Grilled Halibut up to the next level, we are going to baste the fish while grilling with a mixture of olive oil and butter. Simply melt 3 Tablespoons of Butter and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the basting sauce. Then add a small hand full of chopped basil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stir together and you have a great basting sauce for about any fish. If you do not have basil, I also love using thyme to season fish.
When grilling the fish, we will also add finely chopped basil after the first and only turn of the fish, infusing it with more fresh basil flavor.
Grilling the Fish
Grilling fish is perhaps one of the easiest things to do on a grill. It takes no time at all and you only have to flip it once. The steps I use for grilling fish are…
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. About 500 F.
- Make sure your fish has been seasoned well and a nice coating of olive oil.
- Place the fish flesh side down over direct heat on the grill. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Using a large steel spatula, quickly insert the spatula under the fish with confidence – do it slowly and you might lose a good part of your fish. Go quick with authority!
- Flip the fish skin side down and baste with the Buttery Basil Infusion. Cover the grill.
- Baste every 1 minute with the Buttery Basil Infusion. Plan on 3-8 minutes of grilling after flipping skin side down depending on fish thickness.
- Sprinkle the finely chopped basil on top of the fish a few minutes after flipping.
- Check the center of the fish filet for temperature and pull off the grill at 135 F. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.
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Buttery Basil Grilled Halibut
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Halibut Filet
- 3 T Butter
- 3 T Olive Oil
- 1 T Plowboys Yard Bird Rub
- 1 Cup of of finely chopped Basil
Instructions
Melt 3 Tablespoons of Butter and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to create the buttery basting sauce. Then add a small hand full of chopped basil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stir together and you have a great basting sauce for about any fish. If you do not have basil, I also love using fresh thyme to season fish.
Season both sides of the fish gently with the Plowboys Yard Bird seasoning, then coat both sides of the fish lightly with olive oil. Let it marinate for 20 minutes before grilling. An alternative to BBQ rub is using freshly cracked pepper and course sea salt. Season both sides before coating with olive oil.
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. About 500 F.
Place the fish flesh side down over direct heat on the grill. I like to place the fish at a 45 degree angle to the grill grates, because I think it is easier to slide a spatula under. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Using a large steel spatula, quickly insert the spatula under the fish with confidence - do it slowly and you might lose a good part of your fish. Go quick with authority!
- Flip the fish skin side down and baste with the Buttery Basil Infusion. Cover the grill.
- Baste every 1 minute with the Buttery Basil Infusion. Plan on 3-8 minutes of grilling after flipping skin side down depending on fish thickness.
- Sprinkle the finely chopped basil on top of the fish a few minutes after flipping.
- Check the center of the fish filet for internal temperature and pull it off the grill at135 F. Let it rest for 5 minutes and serve.
