Grilled Salmon Fillets
By Katie LeairdPublished on June 5, 2018
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced¼ teaspoon kosher salt Pinch cayenne pepperSalmon
1 (2- to 2¼-pound) center-cut, skin-on salmon fillet, about 1½ inches thick1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon pepper Vegetable oilBefore You Begin
To ensure uniform pieces of fish, we prefer to purchase a whole center-cut salmon fillet, trim it, and cut it into four equal pieces. We use a clean rag to apply oil to the grill because it's sturdier than paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing fish.
- Trim away and discard thinner bottom 1 inch of salmon to make salmon more consistent thickness. Cut salmon crosswise into 4 equal fillets. Dry fillets thoroughly with paper towels and refrigerate while preparing grill. Combine salt and pepper in bowl; set aside.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
- Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Fold rag into compact wad. Holding rag with tongs, dip in oil, then wipe grate. Dip rag in oil again and wipe grate for second time. Cover grill and heat to 500 degrees, about 5 minutes longer. Uncover and wipe grate twice more with oiled rag.
- Using pastry brush, brush flesh and skin sides of fillets with thin coat of oil. Sprinkle flesh side all over with salt mixture. Place fillets on grill, flesh side down, perpendicular to grate bars, about 3 inches apart on all sides. Cover grill (reduce heat to medium if using gas) and cook, without moving fillets, until flesh side is well marked and releases easily from grill, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Using fish spatula, gently push each fillet to roll it over onto skin side. (If fillets don't lift cleanly off grill, cover and continue to cook 1 minute longer, at which point they should release.) Continue to cook, covered, until centers of fillets are opaque and register 130 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Using tongs to stabilize fillets, slide spatula under fillets and transfer to platter. (If skin sticks to grill, slide spatula between fillet and skin and lift fillet away from skin.) Serve with sauce.
for the sauce
for the salmon
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Sauce
Salmon
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Salmon
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Salmon
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
The first step in successfully grilling fish fillets is to properly prepare your grill's cooking grate, but this takes a little time and diligence. By repeatedly cleaning and oiling the grate each time you grill, you transform the grate into an almost-nonstick cooking surface. For extra protection against sticking, we oiled both sides of the salmon. We also started grilling the fillets flesh side down to sear the flesh when the cooking grate was at its hottest. Rather than risk dropping or breaking the fillets while flipping them, we used a fish spatula to gently roll the fillets onto their skin side. Finishing the grilling with the oily skin side down provides a little extra insurance against sticking.
Before You Begin
To ensure uniform pieces of fish, we prefer to purchase a whole center-cut salmon fillet, trim it, and cut it into four equal pieces. We use a clean rag to apply oil to the grill because it's sturdier than paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing fish.
- Trim away and discard thinner bottom 1 inch of salmon to make salmon more consistent thickness. Cut salmon crosswise into 4 equal fillets. Dry fillets thoroughly with paper towels and refrigerate while preparing grill. Combine salt and pepper in bowl; set aside.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
- Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Fold rag into compact wad. Holding rag with tongs, dip in oil, then wipe grate. Dip rag in oil again and wipe grate for second time. Cover grill and heat to 500 degrees, about 5 minutes longer. Uncover and wipe grate twice more with oiled rag.
- Using pastry brush, brush flesh and skin sides of fillets with thin coat of oil. Sprinkle flesh side all over with salt mixture. Place fillets on grill, flesh side down, perpendicular to grate bars, about 3 inches apart on all sides. Cover grill (reduce heat to medium if using gas) and cook, without moving fillets, until flesh side is well marked and releases easily from grill, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Using fish spatula, gently push each fillet to roll it over onto skin side. (If fillets don't lift cleanly off grill, cover and continue to cook 1 minute longer, at which point they should release.) Continue to cook, covered, until centers of fillets are opaque and register 130 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Using tongs to stabilize fillets, slide spatula under fillets and transfer to platter. (If skin sticks to grill, slide spatula between fillet and skin and lift fillet away from skin.) Serve with sauce.
for the sauce
for the salmon
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