Marinated and Grilled Fish Skewers

On July 3, 2025July 3, 2025 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, grilledLeave a comment

When I make kababs for the grill, I usually slide shrimp and vegetables onto skewers. But as I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, finfish works equally well on skewers as long as you choose a cut of a firm, meaty species that’s thick enough to cube and thread.

My favorite grilled fish skewers start with offcuts of halibut, which my local fishmonger sells at a lower per-pound price than full fillets. Monkfish is another delicious fish kebabs option. The flesh of this rather ugly fish has a texture closer to lobster than to flaky white fish and stays intact on skewers. Striped bass, mahi-mahi, and Pacific cod loin, the thickest part of a cod fillet, also skewer well and soak up a lemon and herb marinade.
Learn to make Marinated and Grilled Fish Skewers

Veggie Shish Kebabs with Garlicy Marinade

On August 4, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, grilledLeave a comment

We give the grill a workout every summer, often with small items that want to fall through the grate no matter how carefully they’re arranged on the open surface. I have two grill trays that work well when smoking cherries or cheese or charring large batches of thin asparagus spears. I also have a pair of copper grill mats ideal for sourdough pizza and other soft ingredients—we even grilled scrambled eggs and potatoes on one when I forgot to put a skillet on the sailboat. But for grilled meals with more emphasis on variety than quantity, I reach for skewers.

As I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, you can spear so many foods on a stick and cook them over an open flame. A simple marinade can tie the ingredients together, playing well with flavors that range from sweet tomatillos, to mild potatoes, to spicy peppers. Skewers are also ideal for grilling shrimp, scallops, meaty fish, and cubed meats.
Learn to make Veggie Shish Kebabs with Garlicy Marinade

One Prep, Two Meals: Fish

On July 11, 2019December 1, 2019 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Grilling, Ingredient, UsingLeave a comment

A bit of extra prep one night means you can have a second meal ready to grab and go. Get fish recipes at TwiceasTasty.com. — *Photograph by Brenda Ahearn Photography*

If we’re lucky, Monday nights are free nights in summer: we are home and can prepare and enjoy a meal without other obligations or projects. It’s the one night of the week that I might make a more labor-intensive meal, like fish cakes. But I always know Tuesday will be a picnic before racing sailboats, and a bit of extra prep Monday night means I have a second meal ready to grab and go.

These fish cakes call for some chopping and mincing and two stages of cooking, but they’re worth the effort. The first time I served batches at a house concert, the host said I could have made three times the amount and the platter would be emptied. They’re less greasy than fried fish cakes and more flavorful than potato-based ones. The recipe here easily serves 4, which means I can reheat the leftovers later in the week. To avoid eating the same meal two nights in a row, I set some fish aside and prep a marinade and the extra vegetables while the fish cakes are cooking. On Tuesday, grilled skewers require minimal effort.
Learn to make Mediterranean Fish Cakes and Grilled Fish Skewers