We might be a little early for Easter, but if you’re dreaming of a leisurely four-day break that involves family, friends and fish, but you don’t want to go the traditional pickled fish route, then you might want to start practising for an alternative – a delicious fish braai.

We all know how beneficial fish is – it’s one of healthiest foods we can eat, it’s loaded with protein and Vitamin D (something many of us are lacking in, despite living in a sunny country) and it’s an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids which is essential for the body and brain. But if your standard braai fare is chops and sausage, then fish can seem a little finicky to cook on an open flame, but if you keep a few simple tips in mind, then you’re well on your way to becoming a fish braai master.

The key to braaing fish is SOS – and no, we don’t mean the universal signal for distress – we mean Simple-Oil-Speed; these are the three golden rules for braaing fish successfully.

Simple: Most fish have a mild flavour and if you try adding too many other ingredients, it can overpower the delicious taste of the fish itself. So apart from salt, pepper, butter, the obligatory lemon juice and perhaps a little garlic, you want to keep the flavours simple.

Oil: Fish is not like your traditional meat braai where it doesn’t matter too much if the meat ends up sticking to the grill and you have to pull it off – meat is hardy, it can take a little push and pull, fish can’t. So, the key is to make sure you oil the grid very well first, as well as both sides of your fish. And be sure to cook the fish skin side down first before turning.

Speed: With fish, less is definitely more. Depending on the size and type of fish, you don’t want your fish on the coals for too long and it should spend about 80% of the total cooking time on its skin side. Snoek, for example, will take between 10 and 12 minutes skin side down, and then 3 to 4 minutes on the flip side to cook. Rather remove it slightly earlier than you think it needs, which is always preferable to overcooked dry fish.

Follow the SOS principle and you’ll braai your fish to perfection – in the interim, contact N1 to start stocking up on their wide variety of Halaal fish products, from fish cakes and hake to line fish and kingklip. Happy fish braaing …