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Chile Grilled Salmon
6 salmon steaks, about 1-inch thick (approx. 8 ounces each, yields about 6 ounces cooked)
1 tablespoon chili oil (or 1 tablespoon olive oil and hot sauce to taste)
3 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped (or substitute fresh parsley)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions:
Preheat the barbeque grill to medium high. Oil the grill to keep salmon from sticking, or
you can use one of those special fish holders that can be purchased in most places that
sell barbeque equipment. You can also prepare this in an oven broiler (be sure to preheat
it), or use a George Foreman grill, following manufacturer's instructions for grilling
fish.
Mix together chili oil, lemon juice, cilantro and garlic cloves. Smear mixture over
both sides of salmon steaks. Discard any leftover mixture. Be sure to wash your hands
before touching your face to prevent irritation and burning your eyes or skin.
Place the steaks on the grill (or under broiler) and cook for 4-5 minutes per side,
turning only once. The salmon will be cooked through when it just begins to flake when
pressed lightly with a fork. Keep an eye on the clock since overcooking will dry out the
fish. Remove from heat and serve with accompanying dishes.
Serves 6
*Salmon Tips: If salmon steaks are unavailable, center cut salmon
fillets (bones removed) are a fine substitute. Fillets are often sold with skin attached.
Simply rub the chili oil mixture over the flesh of the salmon. You can sear fillets on the
grill with the flesh side down for 3 minutes, flip over, cover grill and cook for another
7-10 minutes until salmon just begins to flake when pressed with a fork.
Another method of grilling is to place salmon skin-side down, cook covered for 4-5
minutes, flip over and carefully peel skin off, cook covered for another 4-5 minutes. You
can flip one more time to get grill marks on both sides. Note that cooking times are going
to vary with the thickness of the fish steak or fillet. Cooking times are here are given
for 1-inch thickness. The key to exceptional flavor and texture is to AVOID overcooking.
Store leftover steaks in the refrigerator in an airtight container for next-day meals.
Cold salmon is wonderful in salads. If you want to warm it up, be extremely careful
because it’s very easy to dry it out. The best way is to place the salmon in a
covered plastic container with a bit of water and microwave on low heat for a couple of
minutes. Before warming further, test to see if it’s hot enough. It’s better to
repeat this procedure a couple of times than overcook it. |
