The biggest thing about living on the country's northern frontier is that you never know what the weather is going to do to you, from one day to the next. The first and second weeks of spring were much colder and snowier than the 50° days we experienced the last week of winter. Despite the cold, despite the snow, my grill has been begging to be used for quite a while, so today salmon met fire.
Now, out of all the proteins, fish may seem to be the most daunting to successfully grill, but a little practice and some handy tricks make the whole chore quite easy:
- Learn to gauge your temperature! This makes all the difference between a nicely-cooked salmon fillet and unintentional sushi. We'll talk about this in a minute.
- Clean your grill! No matter how tiny, any leftover debris is going to stick to your fish. Heat the grill to loosen any stuck-on debris (use a wire brush), coat it with oil, then scrub it again with some soap and water. Wipe it down with an oil-soaked paper towel before use.
- Brush the fish with an oil or marinade.
- Make certain the grill is good and hot before placing the fish on it. The instant sear helps keep the fish from sticking. Placing the fish across the grill bars will also minimize the amount of contact.
As far as heat goes, you should shoot for a 'moderate' range, as determined by the "hand thermometer" method (you did read "Cooking for Adventurers", didn't you? That's on pages 54-55). At this temperature, the fish will cook thoroughly without needing to be turned. How long it takes will depend on whether or not you can trap the heat in with a lid, or if you are cooking on an open pit. The fish will flake easily with a fork when done. One last thing to note is that, if you are cooking fillets, you should leave the skin ON. You won't lose any meat because it stuck to the grill, and it will peel off easily when the fish is done.
Now, how should you prepare it?
The simplest way to prep a good sized salmon fillet is to just give it a little pepper and smear your favorite barbecue sauce on it. Barbecue sauce will glaze well in the grill, especially if you aren't cooking directly over the fire, and will blend well with the flavor of the wood smoke.
With the proper temperature, salmon will cook in a closed grill in the neighborhood of about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet. Don't forget that wind and ambient temperature are also factors that could slow cooking. Today, it took me around 30 minutes to cook these fillets, but the temperature was in the low 20s with a 15 m.p.h. wind. Cooking outdoors requires a bit more attention than cooking in a climate-controlled kitchen, for sure!
Another way to prepare your fish before cooking is with a simple marinade. Try this one:
- 1/3 Cup beer
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tsp thyme
- 1 Tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 Tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 Tsp Salt & Pepper
Place the fish in the marinade for about 20-30 minutes, prior to cooking. Grill at moderate temperature until meat flakes with a fork (again, usually about 15-25 minutes).
If the weather outside is just too ridiculous, or you just can't dig the grill out of all of that snow, both of these prep methods can be translated to the oven. Place the salmon in an oiled, shallow baking pan for 15 minutes at 450°, or in the broiler for about 10 minutes. These methods work the best if your fillets are completely skinned.
And that's it! Serve immediately with whatever side items you like. I tend towards baked potatoes and mixed veg, but the possibilities are endless. The main rule, like with anything else, is to not overthink things. The first time I grilled fish over a campfire, I was so worried that it wasn't going to cook thoroughly that I almost flipped it over. Thankfully, it broke apart, indicating that it was completely cooked. Had I flipped it, it would have stuck to the grill instantly, making more of a mess than a meal. Learn from some of my mistakes--you can't possibly make them all yourself, can you?
Pick up your own copy of Cooking for Adventurers and help the author keep cooking! You can get one here!
No comments:
Post a Comment