Fish

Almost any seafood can be cooked on the grill. To cook delicate fish, even the most fragile fillets, wrap them in a sturdy vegetable leaf. The leaves char without burning and impart a smoky flavor to the seafood within. Leaves of Swiss chard, cabbage, spinach, romaine and radicchio all make attractive wraps. Blanch the leaves in boiling water for a minute or two, rinse in cold water, then dry by stacking between layers of paper towels.

Coat fish lightly with oil, add herbs of your choice, then wrap in the leaves. Secure the wrap with a toothpick, shortened section of bamboo skewer or cotton string soaked in water.

Grill as you would any other fish using the ten-minute-per-inch-rule as a guide.

Wood chips

Wood chips add an extra kick of flavor to any grilled food, especially seafood. Hardwood smoking chips (favorites are hickory, apple and pear) are available in the grilling section of most variety or kitchen supply stores. To make the chips burn slowly and produce the most smoke, soak them in a bowl of water at least 30 minutes before you add them to the fire. For the greatest smoke flavor, use with a covered grill.

Charcoal

The best way to judge the temperature of a charcoal fire is by the color of the coals.

* A low fire has glow and the coals are covered by gray ash.

* A medium fire - the best for most seafood grilling - has an orange glow and a solid coating of ash.

* A hot fire has a bright red glow and a light coating of white ash.

Seafood

There's no reason to miss a beautiful summer day because you're working over a hot stove. You can grill almost any food you enjoy.

Clams, mussels and oysters are a snap on the grill; just place on a medium-hot fire and cook until opened. (Be sure to position oysters with the deeper half of the shell down.)

Lobster should be killed and split in half lengthwise with a large chef's knife. Remove the viscera, baste the exposed flesh with herbed oil or butter and place the lobster split-side down on a medium hot fire. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes - it's done when the shell turns a bright red and the flesh turns opaque. Take the lobster from the grill, let cool and remove the claws. Return the claws to the grill and cook covered for another 3-4 minutes.

Cleaning a grill

A clean, well-seasoned and well-heated grate not only helps keep food from sticking, it well sear your food with grill lines - the mark of grilling perfection. Always thoroughly clean and season the grill grate after each use. Use a stiff wire brush to remove food deposits while the grate is still warm, and then apply vegetable oil with a paper towel or a non-stick spray.

To create grill lines, be sure to preheat the grate before adding food. do not turn the food more than necessary - no more than twice on each side. To leave a neatly crosshatched look, rotate the position of the food with each turn.