A traditional Gulf Coast dish known as redfish on the half shell can be easily adapted to many other types of fish.
I don’t often get excited about Pacific rockfish, for instance, even though they are tasty enough. They are typically only a pound or two in size, ridiculously simple to catch, and primarily caught as a byproduct of salmon fishing.
If you happen to catch a giant, like a yelloweye rockfish, S. ruberrimus, you will want to treat it more like a Gulf redfish. Here’s why. I can regularly catch 4 pound rockfish there, and often much, much larger.
Like a bull red, large fish that resemble bass tend to get thicker, with coarser meat and larger scales.
You fillet the fish, but leave the skin and scales on, with redfish because the scales on a drum of any color, red or black, are big and tough. This can make them difficult to cook, but the Gulf anglers’ technique of redfish on the half shell is the solution.
When the fish is ready, you slide a spatula under the meat but above the skin, and the meat will slip off, leaving the charred skin and scales. This protects the meat, allowing you to set the fish, ideally coated in Cajun seasoning, on a smoky grill and allow it to cook to perfection without damaging the fish.
Try it with any large, bass-like fish: largemouth bass, snapper, grouper, big black seabass or sheepshead, and of course black and red drum. The scales are basically made of the same stuff as your fingernails, so they won’t stick to your grill, so you can take the whole thing off if you want.
Redfish on the Half Shell
Cajun Beer-Basted Red Drum on the Grill 🔗
The drum are coming in as fall approaches & this is an easy delicious baste. Though I prefer basting up our own fall catches the best, I would use it on any firm-fleshed fish with filets suitable for grilling. There are several Cajun seasoning mixes posted on Zaar – I plan to try these once I use up my current fav – Phil Robertson’s .
Your choice of lager beer–we use our old favorite – Rolling Rock!
Serve with roasted potatoes & green salad– taters can roast at 425°F & be done when fish is ready if thrown in oven before prepping fish.
Prep: 15min
Total: 50min
Nutrition Facts: calories 561.3, Fat 28.3, Saturated Fat 11.1, Cholesterol 248.1, Sodium 425.9, Carbohydrate 7.3, Fiber 0.4, Sugar 1.3, Protein 60.6
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs redfish fillets, skin on but scaled (red drum)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, fresh-ground
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning (spicy)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons onions, minced
- 2 tablespoons green peppers, minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
- 12 ounces beer
Instruction:
- Send DH out to set a medium fire in grill.
- Rinse filets & pat dry. Sprinkle cut sides with garlic & pepper, pressing them gently onto filets.
- In small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat & add 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and Cajun seasoning, garlic, onion, green pepper, parsley.
- Stir & sauté until onion translucent & sauce darkened & slightly thickened. Do not burn garlic – it will become bitter & spoil baste.
- Add bottle of beer, 2nd tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce & simmer 15 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Lay filets onto oiled grill grates or place on oiled aluminum foil over grill grates ( I prefer this so I can sop the filets without flareups & ash). Cook 20 minutes (or 1 cold beer) over low-medium heat, raising lid only to baste generously. Done when thickest area of fillet flakes easily. Enjoy!
FAQ
Is red drum red fish good eating?
Younger fish tend to taste milder (and we think are better for eating), while larger red drum fish have a robust fish flavor and firmer texture. Red drum fish has a mild, sweet flavor with firm meat that flakes into large chunks like cobia.
What is the best way to eat redfish?
Redfish, also known as red drum, is a tasty white fish that you can prepare in a variety of ways, including on the grill or in a skillet for a quick meal, or blackened with lots of spices for a Cajun flavor.
What goes well with redfish?
Red drum are well-loved throughout the Southeast as a food fish, with the flesh being mildly sweet and having a firm flaky white texture. Red drum live in coastal and estuarine waters, feeding on small fish and shellfish found along the ocean bottom.