Grilled Salmon, with Perfectly Crispy Skin

I love cooking salmon on a grill because the size of the cooking surface allows you to cook a whole fillet at once. I have a few tricks that ensure that the skin (my favorite part) turns out perfectly, as well as some great ways to use spice to highlight salmon's natural flavors.

Author

Christian Leue

Servings

Serves 6

Category

Dinner

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) salmon fillet, skin on*
• Salt
• Olive oil
• 1 fresh lemon
• Amber N2
• Izak N37
• Espelette pepper

Directions

1. Carefully inspect your salmon, removing any bones, and cutting away any excess skin or dark-colored flesh. Optionally, you can wrap the fillet in a pichit sheet for 60 minutes. A Japanese invention, they absorb excess moisture and subtly increase the savory character of fish, improving texture, aroma, and flavor. It replicates the controlled aging processes commonly applied to many cuts of fish when preparing sushi and sashimi.
2. Prepare a sheet pan or shallow roasting pan that will fit the salmon. Preheat your grill to 350°F.‡
3. Once your grill is hot, oil and salt the salmon on both sides, then place it skin-side down in the center of your pan. At this point you can add seasonings to part or all of the salmon, I really like how the sweetness and smoke of Amber N2 plays, as well as the cumin and garlic of Izak N37. Add the pan to your grill, close the lid, and wait about 10 minutes before checking.
4. Check the salmon and see how close it is to done by either using an instant-read thermometer (my preferred temp is 130°F), or gently poking it with your finger to test the texture. Once it's done to your liking remove it to a wooden serving board and serve right away while the skin is crisp.
5. Due to natural variations in thickness you'll end up with parts that are more or less done than average, which gives everyone some choice. If you want everything cooked to the same doneness, slice the fillet into pieces (but leave the skin intact), anywhere where there is variation in thickness. You'll then be able to cut and remove sections as they cook. Leaving the skin whole prevents hot oil from bubbling up and overcooking the cut sections of the fillet.
6. Serve with fresh lemon and Espelette pepper to taste. If you'd like to make a simple sauce I love: chopped fresh dill, creme fraîche, and lemon. Also excellent with kizami yuzu (a paste made from the fruit and rind).