The Best Way To Cook Fish After You've Put The Grill Away

It's always sad when the summer weather ends and it's time to put the grill away. No more grilling salmon on top of citrus or making beginner-friendly fish steaks atop an open flame. Luckily for seafood lovers, your tasty fish dishes don't have to end just because the Weber has been moved to the garage (which is never safe to grill in, by the way). Food Republic spoke to Juan Cabrera, executive chef at The Restaurant at North Block, who suggested that these times call for a cast iron skillet.

"This type of pan reaches very high temperatures and will offer an amazing sear," Cabrera told us, perfect for "when long, sunny days go away and you have to go indoors." Since you can no longer cook your fish directly over fire, the intense heat that cast iron can handle is a suitable substitute. Just be sure to put a small amount of olive oil down in the already-warmed pan, and pat your fish dry before placing it (skin-side down) on the hot surface.

Of course, your stove isn't the only appliance in your kitchen that can turn out a quality fish dish. You can use your oven, too (and bonus: If it's cold out, it'll help warm up your house). Juan Cabrera shared, "If you have a broiler in your oven, that also does the trick, as the high heat from above will char and caramelize the fish." This method of cooking is well-suited for fish with firm flesh, like salmon or cod. Again, make sure the fish is patted dry before putting it in the oven, and use the highest rack setting — but be vigilant, because the fish can go from browned and caramelized to totally burnt in less time than you might imagine.

Moving away from that larger appliance, you might also try using a smaller kitchen gadget — your air fryer — to cook fish inside once the grill is gone for the season. Unless you have the biggest air fryer out there, this is obviously meant to cook fillets, not whole fish. The way that heat circulates inside of an air fryer will turn your fish crispy on the outside and flaky and moist on the inside. You can also try seasoning or breading your fillets, and then cooking them in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 12 minutes, adjusting the time depending on how thick they are.