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Page 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.
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