Grilled fresh summer sockeye
Well, even though Mother Nature is not completely co-operating, it really is summer and to me that has always meant more barbecues. Of course, on the West Coast of Canada, we're blessed with weather mild enough that we can fire up the grill most of the year ... at least as long as you don't mind dashing between house and grill in buckets of rain.
And since barbecued food can be some of the healthiest and tastiest (well, healthiest if you don't char it too much), it's a great way for those who are trying to cut down on some of those pesky calories.
A combination of wanting to feel more summery and the fact the sockeye are now running in huge numbers, it occurred to me that a nice bit of barbecued sockeye might be just the thing I needed this week.
So, off to the fish shop to get a fairly large (about six pounds with head on, the fish seem a little bigger this year than in the past) sockeye. I had them remove the head and gills and scrape for scales just because frankly I was feeling lazy. It's not all that hard to do, but it's slightly mucky work.
There is nothing like fresh sockeye. That bright orange flesh and ocean smell..... yummm.
So I preheated the grill and oiled it down. I had decided to cook without foil because I just like it better that way, but it's a little more work to make sure it doesn't stick and your timing has to be more careful as it can dry out and there is nothing more pathetic than a lovely piece of sockeye cooked to the consistency of jerky.
The thing about this recipe is that it is simple, you really taste the freshness of the fish and that's a flavour that, frankly, doesn't need a lot of additives or fussy sauces.
So here's my recipe for:
Grilled whole sockeye
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients
1 whole, dressed sockeye (about 4 1/2 to 5 pounds)
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 medium onion, sliced thinly
1/2 lemon, sliced thinly
A bunch of fresh parsley or cilantro
Olive oil
1 lemon sliced lengthwise into wedges
Rinse salmon and pat dry. Sprinkle inside with salt and pepper and a smear of butter.
Arrange overlapping slices of onion, lemon and plenty of parsley in the cavity.
Brush both sides of the salmon with oil. (Alternately, you can oil the fish and wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil, seal edges with a double fold. This method means less clean up of the grill and does ensure the fish is very moist, but I like the sizzly crisp skin on the outside and you won't get it with the foil.)
Whole salmon is best cooked using indirect heat which means turning on one burner on your grill but putting the fish on the other side of the grill. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the well-oiled fish on the grill. Don't move the fish too soon. It will stick to the grate until the grill marks are seared into the flesh. It should lift off the grill easily then. When the salmon flesh flakes with a fork, it's done. Be sure to remove the salmon just as it reaches the flaking point, or it will begin to dry and toughen. Perfectly done salmon is moist and tender.
Grill whole salmon with indirect medium heat, for 7 minutes per half pound. (Include the weight of your stuffing ingredients when estimating time. But ultimately it's not the clock but the edges of the flesh just turning flaky that determine when it's time to take the fish off the grill.
Let it rest about 10 minutes under a piece of foil before cutting and serving.
Absolutely delicious with lemon wedges and a big tossed salad for a light meal that will fill you with energy and all kinds of good nutrition. Of course, you can also grill some veggies like zucchini strips, asparagus or the like as your side dish to make a meal that feels a bit more substantial.
And best of all, even if it doesn't quite look like summer out there, a big plate of grilled salmon with ensure that you feel like summer inside.
Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment