How To Remove A Piece Of Fish That's Stuck To Your Grill Without Ruining It

Without a doubt, the summer months are the perfect time to grill seafood. However, with all that grilling also comes plenty of mistakes in grilling seafood. For instance, you might not properly thaw your seafood or remove the bones from your fish. You might even get a piece of fish stuck to your grill.

Fortunately, even the most stubborn piece of fish can be pried from the grill without completely ruining its integrity. According to Dustin Green, head grill master and director at Weber Grill Academy, sticky fish are a common grilling mistake. He notes that even oiled fish can stick, but they will peel away, given time.

That said, some fish may be harder to remove than others — especially if you forgot to oil them prior to grilling — so if this happens to be the case with your next cookout, Green recommends using a spatula. "Turn [the spatula] over like a scraper and put it at the base of the fish," he explains. "Once at the base of the fish, very gently push away from your body to get the fish to lift." Sounds simple enough, right?

Now that we've got the removal method down, it's time to discuss the ideal tool for prying fish off the grill. Grill master Dustin Green recommends a spatula as one of the two essential tools for grilling fish, but exactly what kind of spatula should we look for?

We can quickly rule out any spatulas made from plastic, as these will likely melt, but silicone is acceptable if it has a metal core for stability. Your best bet is to invest in a stainless steel spatula with a long handle and a slotted design. This design allows excess oil and liquid to drain from the fish as you lift it away. Sure, fish may be from watery environments, but that doesn't mean we want to eat a soggy fish — or worse, a soggy fish that has flaked on the grill.

Of course, you can always prevent your fish from sticking to the grill in the first place. Green recommends oiling your fish before you start to prevent it from sticking.