July is Grilling Month at Monahan’s (and Downtown Home & Garden)!

This month, we’re celebrating the thrill of the grill with all the fish and shellfish you’ll need for a summer of great flavor and fun. We’ve got plenty of receipes and Bernie’s always whipping up some great marinades, rubs, salsas and sauces to help make things real easy for you.

On this July 4th holiday weekend, Bernie is making up a batch of his fresh roasted macadamia nut cilantro pesto. Just a dollop is fantastic over a nice grilled flavorful fish like King Mackerel, Swordfish or Bluefish.

A few more holiday grilling ideas might be Planked Copper River King Salmon over a red cedar plank ($3.95 each) with our Irish Whiskey Maple Glaze. Maybe some fresh, beautiful Tuna steaks with our teriyaki marinade. Ever try Pancetta-Wrapped Wild Gulf Shrimp Kabobs with Spicy Tiger Lime marinade? Dee-lish! Or Squid Satay with a Thai Peanut Sauce. Whole Grilled Red Snapper Vera Cruz or fresh Herb-Wrapped Bronzini?

When was the last time you grilled fresh baby Spanish octopus served with tomatoes onions and oregano vinaigrette (this would be a good weekend to give it a go). Soft shell crabs basted in olive oil, the possibilities are endless!

One of my favorite first course treats is Barbequed Oysters, our Fish Report recipe for this July 4 Weekend.

Are you ready? Are you Fired up?
Before you start, make sure you have he right tools and equipment. You don’t have to spend a fortune, but you should have some of the basics to have some of the success you are going for. We’ve partnered up with our friends at Downtown Home and Garden this month and we’ve scouted out their grill section, so it might be worth your time to stop by to pick up a few of these essentials:

A nice working area: a small well-lit table next to the grill for marinades, knifes, cutting board, etc. If you are like me and end up grilling after dark and your area is not well lit, get a nice portable lamp or a good flashlight.

A good wire brush. Let the grill grate get good and hot, and brush it down using a good quality brass cleaning brush with scraper. After brushing, rub the grate with oil to prevent sticking.

Tongs: Heavy duty stainless tongs at least 12-15 inches long to keep your hands away from the heat.

Basting brush: 15 inches is good, with silicon bristles which are heat resistant and cleanable.

Large spatula: This is an important one for the integrity of your delicate fish…be sure to use one that is heavy duty—at least 18 inches with wide end about 4 inches. Sometimes for large fillets or whole fish, I often use a second spatula to help.

Mitts or gloves: I’ve always used leather garden gloves to protect hands but they now sell good silicon grilling mitts.

Fish baskets: Fish baskets make the worry of tearing a delicate fillet or mangling your beautiful whole fish a thing of the past. There are shapes which accommodate whole fish (we have a few at the market) or you can use an old-fashioned hamburger basket for fillets. Using the basket makes grilling fish very easy, no matter the state of your grill. It’s a great investment for a summer grilling cook.

Now you have all of the tools! And with some super fresh fish and a little inspiration, you’re on your way.

We’ll be talking about grilling all month…and great news for those of you who have been wanting to see a grilling demo: On Sunday, July 11, I (Mike), Lisa (my wife) and Wendy (former fishmongress and internet guru) will be at Downtown Home and Garden trying out a few summer recipes on The Big Green Egg! Stop by Downtown Home & Garden (out front under the awning) between 11-1 for a few samples and a little instruction. It’s going to be fun, so mark your calendars!