Kent's recent question about the skin up or down reminded me of a little
thing I've done over the years. When grilling food that is served or
cooked with a skin, I generally turn it once on the grill. Using
salmon or chicken breasts as an example, I typically oil and cook the
"meat" side down first to give it some grill lines and begin the cooking
process. The skin side is then oiled, basted or whatever I'm doing that
day, and the food is turned. I then oil, baste etc. the meat side
again and let it finish cooking. The food is served with the skin down.

Beyond the aesthetics involved, my "theory" is that the skin acts as a
little dish to retain drippings and aid in the flavoring of the meat. I
think most of us have learned the mantra of "presentation side first"
when grilling, but this is what I believe is the reason behind it. Any
thoughts?
--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son