Fred's Citrus Salmon
Brian Misko is an enthusiastic barbecuer who recently
took the plunge and started up a barbecue team, House
of Q. Brian passed on this recipe, which he has cooked
time and again for his family. It was originally
crafted after salmon fishing in Tofino with my in-laws,
he says. I had never been fishing on the open ocean
before, nor had Fred Kraus, my father-in-law. Nonetheless,
a nice side of salmon was decorated for the grill with
whatever we had in the cabin. And theyve cooked
it that way ever since. Serve with a wonderful fruity
white wine and a salad and you have a nice west coast
meal, says Brian.
1 alder cooking plank,
soaked overnight or at least 1 hour
1 orange
1 lime
1 lemon
1 tsp grated zest from the three fruits (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pushed through a press
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole, boned fillet wild Pacific salmon
(about 3 lb), skin on
Squeeze the juice from
the three fruits into a nonreactive dish like a lasagna
pan. Reserve a few slices for garnish. Don't worry about
pulp or seeds in the marinade - it all adds flavor. Add
the zest, if desired, and the garlic and oil. The volume
of oil depends on how big your piece of salmon is. A larger
one will take a bit more oil. Whisk all the ingredients
together and pour over the salmon. Marinate for a minimum
of 1 hour at room temperature.
Preheat the grill on medium-high
for 5 or 10 minutes or until the chamber temperature rises
above 500°F/260°C. Rinse the plank and place it
on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat the plank
for 4 or 5 minutes, or until its starting to throw
off a bit of smoke and crackling lightly. Reduce the heat
to medium-low.
Remove the salmon from
the marinade and season it with salt and pepper. Place
it on the plank and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until
the fish has an internal temperature of 135°F/57°C.
Halfway through the cooking time, spoon some of the marinade
on top of the fish. When the salmon is done, serve it
on the plank garnished with extra citrus slices. Goes
well with Sesame Mayo.
Sesame Mayo
This is the perfect dip for roasted veggies, and its
also great tossed with rice noodles for a cool, creamy
side to grilled Asian-flavored meats. Sprinkle with
toasted sesame seeds for extra texture.
1 cup/250 mL mayonnaise
1 tsp./5 mL toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp./2 mL soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp./5 mL Chinese chili sauce or spicy Szechuan chili
oil (or to taste)
1 tsp./5 mL grated or finely chopped fresh lemon, lime
or orange rind
1 to 2 Tbsp./25 mL toasted sesame seeds (to taste)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve.