Grilled Salmon
For grilled salmon with crisp skin, tender flesh and nothing stuck to the grates, coat the skin with mayonnaise, an insulator that mitigates sticking, then cook the fish skin-side down the whole time. Skipping the flip allows the heat to rise up and gently cook the delicate fish, and as a bonus, creates really crispy skin. This method also works for other firm fish fillets such as red snapper, halibut or sea bass; just be sure to adjust the cook time so that the internal temperature hits 130 degrees (the minimum internal temperature for the salmon is 120 degrees).
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 4(6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
- Salt
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
Step 1
Heat a grill to medium. Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle all over with salt. Arrange the salmon skin-side up on a plate. Coat the skin with a thin layer of mayonnaise — less than 1 teaspoon per fillet. You should still be able to see the skin through the mayonnaise.Step 2
Clean the grates with a grill brush. (No need to grease the grates.) Place the salmon skin-side down on the grill. Cover the grill and cook until the skin is crisp and the fish is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes. (An internal thermometer should read at least 120 degrees; thinner fillets will take less time than thicker ones.) Use a fish spatula to carefully transfer the salmon to plates, skin-side up.