I've just gotten back from a trip and am getting back in the swing of cooking again. Maybe not with a bang, but certainly with something. It was a working vacation and I do cook for a living, so I can't entirely blame myself for not coming back into town in full swing. But I am going to call my excursion a traveling chef position and I would highly recommend them. That having been said, I do actually need to feed myself and I'm a sucker for salmon. I may be in the Midwest now and salmon isn't exactly native to the area. But, I still have a soft spot for salmon and it is the thing getting me to break out the barbecue today! I ended up making a Salad w/ Salmon, Couscous, & Cauliflower and Pasta Salad w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Jalapeño.
I added lemon and onion to the salmon today. This is a great way to cook in a subtle flavor to the fish. You can add any number of herbs and spices to the mix as well.
Gallery
This may be the very last of my propane or I need to do some maintenance of my grill this spring because only 2 of the burners lit. I got impatient waiting for the barbecue to char the top of the lemons, though. So, I took a blow torch to it. Although, if you're having a similar problem, a simpler solution is just turning all of the burners on medium-high!
Variations of Barbecue Salmon
I don't always barbecue salmon, but it is fun to break out the barbecue and make a big meal sometimes. Every now and then I'll even get an entire salmon fillet and make a whole week's worth of meals out of it. Today, I opted for a simple salad. Although there are a plethora of salmon meals that are equally delicious, albeit a little bit more work to toss together!
This Barbecue Salmon consists of a splash of olive oil, slices of onion, lemon, and a dash of salt and pepper on the BBQ for 12-20 minutes. Different sized fillets are going to cook at slightly different times. Different barbecues are also going to cook at slightly different temperatures. But salmon is a great fish for beginners because it noticeably changes color and texture. When it's opaque, rather than a bright pink, and flakes with a fork when you gently press on it? It's done.
Let the salmon rest until it reaches room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat barbecue to medium heat.I grilled a rather large salmon, so I turned all 4 burners to medium. For smaller fillets, either cut the temperature or cooking time slightly. Although the same basic principles will apply, regardless of size.
Place salmon skin-side down on a griddle or baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add a dash of salt and pepper. Slice a lemon and half of an onion. Place evenly on top of the salmon.
Bake salmon for 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon begins to flake. Salmon tends to be cooked when it loses the bright color and you can take a fork and it easily separates. Larger cuts of salmon may take upwards of 20 minutes. Smaller, individual portions may take less time. It's best to begin checking after 10 minutes of cooking and adjust the cooking time to the doneness of your filet.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For more information on baking salmon, check out my articles on The Fundamentals of Oven Baked Salmon and Barbecue Salmon. I'm particularly fond of cooking on a well-seasoned cast iron griddle because you don't need additional oil or foil to to keep it from sticking. But there are certainly ways around this if you don't want to dedicate an entire cast iron pan to fish! Cooking salmon is also more of an art than a science. No two filets are going to cook in the exact same amount of time and there are definitely some tips and tricks to nailing the cook on fish.
Leave a Reply