Mastering salmon on the grill can be a challenge. You can learn a handful of techniques to ensure success, however, and that’s what this chapter is all about. While developing the recipes for this cookbook, I sometimes thought I was going to grow gills because I was cooking and eating so much salmon. But all that trial and error resulted in my perfecting techniques that are good not only for salmon but for all seafood on the grill. Here are some simple strategies for perfectly grilled salmon.
Salmon has a high oil content, which helps keep it moist on the grill. That said, the flesh is tender and it can stick to the grill grate and tear when you try to turn over a fillet. Instead of placing salmon directly on the grate, I use planks, cedar sheets, skewers, banana leaves, a fish-shaped grill basket, a plancha, and even a bed of fresh herbs to help keep the fish from sticking. Cedar or alder planks infuse fish with a subtle and appealing wood-smoked flavor. The same is true for cedar sheets; plus, opening a slightly charred, paper-thin wood sheet to reveal a fish fillet is spectacular. Skewers allow you to maneuver small chunks of fish or whole shellfish easily, and grilling fish on a bed of sturdy herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, imparts a lovely aroma and provides a barrier between the flesh and the grate.