Grilled Salmon (Serves 4)
Grilled salmon is one of my favorite summertime meals. A plate of grilled salmon is a great way to feed hungry family with a voracious appetite while also being a sophisticated way to impress summer dinner quests. Grilled salmon is fulfilling and satisfying while not leaving a diner with that heavy feeling of having eaten too much.
Preparing a restaurant quality plate of grilled salmon at home is unbelievably easy. Here’s how to do it….
Ingredients:
- Fresh Salmon Filets 1-1.5 lbs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- McCormick’s Smokehouse Maple seasoning
Grilled salmon Steps:
- Select your salmon: steaks vs filets, skin on or off. The most common cut of salmon meat is the filet. Filets are made by cutting the salmon lengthwise. Steaks are less common and are made by cutting the salmon across. Filets are typically deboned at the seafood shop while steaks are often sold bone in.
- Season your salmon: can do in as little as an hour but 24 hours is better. Can use salt and pepper but best is McCormack’s Smokehouse Maple with extra virgin olive oil. Use some oil to help the meat cook and not stick to the grill.
- Heat your grill. A hot grill is best. If using propane or gas set burners on ¾ to full and allow grill grates to fully heat. If using charcoal allow coals to get hot and grill to reach 400 degrees.
- Skin up grill pattern 3 min x2. Once your grill is hot, place your filets skin down and grill for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, turn them 90 degrees and grill another 3 minutes. This will produce a nice, criss-cross grill pattern on the meat.
- Skin down 5 min. Flip your filets and grill skin down for 5 minutes. Grilled salmon will continue to cook after removal from heat and the worst thing you can do to salmon is over cook it. After 5 minutes of skin down grilling, remove your filets from the heat even if they don’t look completely cooked. You can always put undercooked filets back on the hear for a while. On the other hand, if you wait for them to look cooked, you’ve probably overcooked them.
- Remove the skin. Once cooked the skin easily peels off the meat. Peel the skin off while removing the filet from the grill by inserting your spatula between the skin and the meat and slicing off the skin. Alternatively, you can do this on a plate if you’re not comfortable working on the grill. Note: If it’s your first time preparing grilled salmon you will be surprised how easily the skin peels off.
- Once the skin has been discarded, slice your filets to serving size and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
A fresh, green garden salad is always a great warm up for a dinner of delicious grilled salmon. Side dishes of lite fare accent include rice or mashed potatoes. Finish off your dining presentation with a lite desert and coffee.