Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Grilled Sweet & Sour Salmon

Almost two weeks ago I had my friend, Rochelle, over for dinner. Though I've known her for years (22 years--gasp!), we don't get to see each other often, so it was very exciting to have her over. It took me a long time to decide what to make and finally settled on Grilled Sweet & Sour Salmon, Bean Sprout Salad (recipe coming), Steamed Rice, and Sauteed Broccoli. For dessert I made an Apple Upside-Down Cake and Mint Brownies (recipes coming). The food was yum and my friend's company was delightful. It was a very good day :)

The sweet & sour sauce is what makes this salmon so good. It's from The Gas Grill Gourmet by A. Cort Sinnes. I've used it on pork, chicken, meatballs, and salmon, always with perfect results. The actual recipe is a pork recipe and the sauce is a marinade. I usually double the recipe and use half as a marinade and half as a finishing sauce or glaze. I don't include the oil; I've made it both with and without and can't tell the difference. As is, the sauce is very thin. When I've wanted it thicker--like as a glaze on my meatballs--I whisk 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch for each batch, depending on how thick I want it to be, and then simmer it until it's thickened, about 5 minutes.

Note: I did not marinate the salmon. I simply grilled it and then brushed it with the sauce, allowing it to caramelize slightly while on the grill. I also did not double the sauce this time.

Grilled Sweet & Sour Salmon (Adapted from The Gas Grill Gourmet)
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic, pressed

6 2-inch wide salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)

sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion for garnish

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl (I use a 2-cup glass measure) and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

2. Brush the grate of a gas grill with a wire brush to remove any residue from the last time you grilled. Heat the grill over high heat until it's smoking hot, 450-500 deg., and brush the grate again. Use long tongs to wipe the grate with vegetable oil-soaked paper towels and immediately place the salmon, skin-side up (if they have skin), on the grate.

3. Grill the fillets for 4-6 minutes--don't try to move them yet. You'll know when it's time to flip them when they release easily from the grate with a gentle horizontal jiggle (go with the bars of the grate, and don't try to pick them straight up off the grate). Flip the fillets skin-side down, leaving one burner empty.

3. Once the fillets are flipped, turn the burner(s) with the fillets to low, and leave the empty one on high. Brush the tops of the salmon with the sauce, close the grill lid, and continue to grill until the salmon is cooked almost all the way through, 6-8 minutes (the salmon will continue to cook after you take it off the grill), and the sauce has slightly caramelized. Brush the fillets with more glaze before removing them from the grill, and once more before serving. Garnish with the sesame seeds and green onion if you like.

Ingredient note: You'll find hoisin sauce in the Asian section of your grocery store.

2 comments:

  1. FINALLY had me for dinner. And it was dee-lish! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, I love sweet and sour sauce, and I love salmon, so this sounds like a winner!!!

    ReplyDelete

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