Grilled Salmon

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all your ingredients. Fresh, never-frozen fish is best — freezing costs it a lot of its good qualities. Use a fillet or a steak, ideally with as few bones as possible. Any vegetable oil works, from olive to cottonseed. You'll need lemon juice, so bottled juice is fine too. If you're juicing a fresh lemon, scald it first.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the fish and pat it dry.

3. Step 3:

   

   Squeeze lemon juice over it — this tames any strong fishy smell and adds a light citrus note to the finished dish.

4. Step 4:

   

   Stir the soy sauce together with the oil and add the minced garlic — grate it, mince it with a knife, or run it through a press. I don't add salt, since the soy sauce already brings plenty.

5. Step 5:

   

   Pour the marinade over the fish and let it sit for a while. Marinating time can run anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours.

6. Step 6:

   

   Get the coals in your grill glowing hot — either ready-made charcoal, or firewood that you burn down to coals. Birch wood is the best choice for grilling.

7. Step 7:

   

   Set the grill grate over the coals. Lay the fish on it and cook, turning every 5 minutes or so. Fish grills quickly — figure 15–20 minutes total. Keep in mind that salmon is a fatty fish, and dripping fat can cause flare-ups, so keep an eye on it!

8. Step 8:

   

   Take the fish off the grate and serve it right away, hot, with fresh vegetables and herbs. Enjoy!