Tom Douglas's Recipe for Whole Salmon on the Grill
Barbecuing a whole salmon on the grill is a Seattle tradition, especially when celebrating any significant event or holiday from the Fourth of July to Christmas. Try cooking a whole fish once in a while. It will be infinitely more satisfying than boned fillets, and it’s probably a lot quicker and easier than you think. Jackie spent 10 minutes getting this salmon ready to go on the grill, then only about 30 minutes grilling it. Believe me, it will make a huge impression on your guests when you carry this gorgeous, slightly charred, sizzling hot salmon to the table.
Some people don’t like to eat the salmon skin, but if you do want to eat it be sure to remove the scales, or ask your fishmonger to do it for you. A small sharp knife or a boning knife works well for scraping the scales off, though Jackie likes to use our Italian cheese knife, which does the job perfectly. I lightly dust the skin with flour and brush with olive oil before grilling, to keep the fish skin from sticking to the grill. I like to use an instant-read meat thermometer to check when the fish is done, just like I would check a roast.
Try to get a wild salmon for this recipe, rather than a farmed salmon, because a fish with a nice firm texture is best. A 3-1/2- to 4-pound fish is the perfect size for grilling. You can grill the salmon with the head and tail on, or you can ask your fishmonger to remove them. Instead of salmon, you could substitute a steelhead, a large trout, a striped bass, or a red snapper.
Whole Salmon on the Grill Stuffed with Sea Salt, Lemon, and Onion
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 whole salmon, about 4 pounds, gutted, rinsed, and patted dry
Sea salt
1/2 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fennel fronds or fresh dill
Olive oil, for brushing
Flour, for dusting
Sweet Fennel Butter, softened (see recipe below)
Lemon wedges and fennel fronds or fresh dill, for garnish
Directions:
1. Fire up the grill, with the coals lined up for direct heat about 5 to 6 inches below the fish. Sprinkle sea salt generously in the cavity of the fish and over the skin, then stuff the cavity with the onion, lemon, and fennel fronds. Tie kitchen string around the fish in three or four places to hold the stuffing in. In between the string, make deep incisions with your knife through the thickest part of the fish on both sides, all the way down to the spine, so the fish will cook more quickly, and the smoke flavor will get inside the fish better. Lightly dust one side of the fish with flour. Brush both the floured side of the fish and the grate with oil, then place the salmon on the grill, floured side down. Once the salmon is on the grill, lightly dust the other side of the fish with flour and brush it with oil.
2. Grill the salmon over medium-hot direct heat, with the lid on and the vents open. If your grill has a thermometer, maintain the heat at 300 to 350 degrees F. When the skin side facing the grill is nicely browned, after about 20 minutes, use two large grill spatulas to flip the fish to the other side. Slide your spatula under the fish in several places first, to help detach the skin from the grill. Then continue to grill until the fish is just cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of fish reads 125 degrees to 135 degrees F, about 10 to 20 minutes longer, for a total grilling time of 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the fish from the grill, place it on a large platter, cut off the string, and let rest for 10 minutes.
On the Plate
Garnish the salmon with lemon wedges and fennel fronds. Put the fennel butter in a small bowl and serve on the side.
If you like, you can peel off the skin so your guests can more easily help themselves to the salmon. Use a paring knife to make an incision at the head end of the fish, then peel off the skin. Sprinkle a little sea salt directly over the flesh of the fish. Use a metal serving spatula to lift each serving of salmon up off the backbone of the fish. When all the fish has been served from one side, flip the fish over and repeat with the other side.
A Step Ahead
You can stuff and tie the salmon early in the day and keep refrigerated.
For the Sweet Fennel Butter:
This soft butter will start melting as soon as it’s spooned over a piece of warm salmon, creating a simple sauce. Recipe makes about 1 cup
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons chopped fresh fennel fronds, or substitute fresh dill
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix together the butter, fennel, juice, zest, and honey until smooth, either in a food processor, electric mixer, or by hand. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scrape the butter into a small decorative bowl and serve.
A Step Ahead
You can make the butter up to 3 days ahead and store it, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator. Remove it to room temperature to warm up and soften for a few hours before you plan to serve it.
Recipes from Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen (Morrow, 2001)
Tom Douglas is currently working with Amazon.com on the exclusive line of kitchen and dining products, Tom Douglas by Pinzon, aimed at building confidence in the kitchen.
McBaine on July 03, 2009 at 04:33 PM
Since when is a salmon only 4 pounds? At least the ones I catch. Out here on the Rogue River the only salmon that are 4 pounds would be a small Jack Salmon (immature salmon). Usually either Chinook or Coho (Silvers). For Chinook our average salmon in the spring is about 15 pounds to 20 pounds. But they will go as big as 30lbs plus. Try fitting that on your average BBQ. Now if you talk Fall fish, then hell, they'll go 50 pounds plus with averages around 25lbs.
I would suggest a recipe for salmon steaks or fillets. Cedar plank is good, but I like cooking the fillets with skin side down on the grill with indirect heat.
outdoorgriller on July 03, 2009 at 05:13 PM
That fish sounds good I like salmon and I have some recipes for it if you would like to see them or the collection of tips and recipes I have for grilling you can visit www.cookingandgrillinoutdoors.com
nk on July 04, 2009 at 05:50 AM
I swear, you can find anything on Al Gore's internets. Just yesterday my seven-year old was asking me if we could grill a whole salmon.
jeux voiture on September 26, 2009 at 04:15 AM
I prepared this by the recipe and it was delicious. Salmon was so moist & yummy. I did use some thinly sliced fennel as well.