This is my go-to grilling recipe for salmon. It’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner and fancy enough for guests. This year, I’ve been making it on wood planks, which give the salmon a smoky taste that’s the perfect complement to the sweet glaze.
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
1 tbsp. grated ginger
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 – 2 lbs. salmon fillet
Chives for garnish (optional)
Equipment: Grill and wood grilling plank
1. At least 30 minutes before you’re ready to grill, soak the wood plank in water (longer is better, so if you think of it in the afternoon, get it soaking). You want the plank to smolder and smoke, not burn, so weigh the plank down, and get it wet.
2. Heat your grill to medium high. Mix glaze ingredients together, and set aside. Place the wet plank on the grill, then put the salmon on top and add glaze. Cover the grill. You should see smoke coming out of the vents in about 5 minutes.
3. Check the salmon after 15 minutes. Because of the plank, the salmon takes longer to cook than it would over direct heat, so it may need another 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with chives and serve on the plank.
Cook’s note: If you don’t want to use a plank, you can cook the salmon skin side down for about 6 minutes, then flip and cook for another 4 minutes.
Complete the menu: Sweet and Sour Cole Slaw
Wine pairing: Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc is available at Trader Joe’s and Jewel and usually costs about $12. It’s delicious with salmon. Look for the youngest vintage you can find.
Shopping list
Fish
1 1/2 – 2 lb. salmon filet
Produce
Ginger root
Chives
Garlic
Other items
Brown sugar
Dijon mustard
Rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
