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Issue Date: June 24, 2001
I went fishing for the best way to cook a side of salmon. Here's how I wrestled the leviathan and made it a stunning party centerpiece.
A crowd pleaser for the grill
As more people swear off red meat, salmon is becoming my entree of choice when entertaining a crowd. It's elegant, readily available and reasonably priced. Even guests who say they don't care for fish usually like salmon. And unlike any other large cut of meat, a whole salmon fillet can be cooked and ready to serve in less than 20 minutes.
Grilling a whole fillet is obviously more efficient than 12 individual steaks, but grilling a foot-and-a-half-long side can result in a sticky, frustrating mess.
I went looking for a technique that would, first, work with the equipment I owned. It wasn't worth purchasing special racks or pans for a dish I made a couple of times a year.
Because maneuvering the large piece of salmon was trouble, the technique needed to be as hands-off as possible.
I also wanted an easy way to serve the salmon. Hacking up the whole fish before bringing it to the table was unattractive. Yet presenting guests with a whole piece of fish was a little like setting an uncarved ham or turkey on the table.
Since I had already decided I wouldn't turn the fish during grilling, I had four options. I could cook the salmon skin side down or skin side up, over direct or indirect heat.
To see which method worked best, I cooked four fillets. Grilling skin side down over direct or indirect heat was really just outdoor baking. Cooked this way, the fish picked up a slight hint of smoke from the grill. I would consider cooking salmon this way if wood chips or chunks were put in the grill.
Cooked flesh side down over direct heat, the salmon was hard to argue with: The searing added color and flavor depth. But I had one big problem -- the flesh was sticking. Anticipating the problem (and hoping to simplify removal), I tried cooking the salmon on a uniformly supportive cake rack that I set over the grill rack. Reasoning that the fish was less likely stick to a hot rack, I set the cake rack on the grill rack, preheating both. I sprayed both racks with vegetable cooking spray. Still, the salmon stuck.
Finally, I realized the cake rack was the problem. This one had wires running in both directions, in a grid pattern. Better, I thought, to hold the salmon secure. Not so.
Since I didn't own a large-enough rack with wires running in only one direction, and I still refused to buy special equipment for this task, I started looking around the kitchen. I spotted the oven rack: With wires running in one direction and relatively far apart, it might work.
I tried again, setting the oven rack on the grill rack, spraying both with vegetable cooking spray, and heating the grill over highest heat. It worked! The oven rack gave enough support to guarantee the salmon's safe removal, but not so much support that the salmon became hopelessly glued.
So the grilling itself was solved; on to the flavor. Generally, I find that marinades mask rather than enhance the flavor of large cuts of meat or poultry, but salmon is different. I tested three marinades: pineapple juice-based, orange juice-based and Asian-style. All three improved the salmon's flavor without overwhelming. And all three contained some sweetener that helped the salmon surface to color.
Some juice-based marinades call for cooking down a large quantity of juice fairly dramatically, before adding the fish -- too lengthy a process. But it gave me an idea. Why not just buy frozen juice concentrate? It worked so well with the pineapple marinade I tried that I used it with the orange juice marinade, too. These marinades penetrated and flavored the fish quickly. Relatively thick, they also adhered to the fish, doubling as a glaze. And when cooked down, they were transformed into wonderfully pungent dipping sauces.
Almost done! But I had yet to figure out a guest-friendly way to serve the fillet. Thanks to a recipe on the Epicurious.com Web site, I found my answer. It instructed to cut deep portion-size slits in the fillet, without cutting through the skin. This scoring not only simplified serving, it helped the salmon marinate and cook more quickly and evenly.
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Sensational Summer Salmon
Prep time: 6 minutes
Cooking time: 14 minutes
1 whole, skin-on salmon fillet, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, scored into 12-16 pieces (cut partially but not through the skin)
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Salt (except with soy glaze)
Ground black pepper
First, choose and prepare a marinade (see opposite page for three favorites). Place scored salmon in a 1 1/2- or 2-gallon zipper-lock bag; pour in marinade. Press air from bag, then seal it. Make sure salmon is evenly coated, then refrigerate flat for 3 hours.
About 15 minutes before cooking, set oven rack (or use another large rack with wires running in only one direction) on a gas grill rack. If using a charcoal grill, simply build a medium-hot fire and follow gas grill instructions. Spray both racks with vegetable cooking spray. Close grill lid and heat grill on high setting.
Remove salmon from marinade, shaking off excess. Lay salmon on a large pan and season with salt and pepper.
While grill heats, pour marinade into a small non-reactive pan. Simmer on stove over medium-low heat until it becomes a thick glaze, about 5 minutes. (The soy marinade's flavor intensifies, but it does not thicken.) Remove from heat.
Place salmon, flesh side down, on rack and close grill. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 8-9 minutes without opening cover. Check the salmon: If it is caramelized and spotty brown around the edges, reduce heat to medium and continue until salmon is nicely charred, about 5 minutes longer. If fish has not browned well, leave grill at medium-high heat. Note: If an exceptionally large fillet is charred but not done, turn off grill and let salmon sit a minute or two.
Lift oven rack with salmon from grill. Let rest 3-5 minutes, then run a spatula under portions of salmon that touch the rack to loosen. Place a platter over fish and carefully invert. Remove rack. Brush salmon generously with glaze. Serve immediately with remaining glaze for dipping.
Serves: 12-16.
Per serving, based on 16: 205 calories, 17g protein, 12g carbohydrates, 9g fat (2g saturated), 0g fiber, 243mg sodium.
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Pick a marinade
For each of these recipes, combine ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to marinate fish. Makes enough to coat one whole salmon fillet.
Pineapple-Soy Marinade
1 12-ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
Orange-Pepper Marinade
1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 tsps. red pepper flakes
Soy-Sesame Marinade
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tb. sesame oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsps. crushed red pepper flakes
Photo by BRIAN LEATART for USA WEEKEND
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