Grilled Salmon - Recipes for Quick and Easy Meals

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Grilled Salmon is a Wonderful Meal to Cook Out.

Grilled salmon is not just an easy meal to grill out, but for us empty nesters still in the work force it is a quick meal to make as well.

Salmon is not only a very popular meal to cook, but it is also considered to be a healthy food as well due to it's high amount of protein, Omega 3 fatty acid and vitamin "D".

This fish is great for either grilling or smoking, but it is like anything else. No matter how good your grilled salmon recipes are, it still all starts with a good cut of meat.

Generally speaking, the greater the oil content of the salmon the better it will taste. Additionally, it is believed by many people that wild salmon is better tasting than farmed salmon.

Atlantic salmon has only one type and they are for the most part farmed fish, with some exceptions.

Pacific salmon are caught wild and considered the better fish. The problem is they are only available fresh from around May to September.

There are a few basic types of Pacific salmon. There is the pink salmon and chum salmon, which of all the types, are the lowest in oil content. Then there is the coho salmon, which is a bit leaner than the sockeye and chinook, both of those having the highest oil content of all types. There is also the steelhead salmon.

Actually the chinook or king salmon as it is sometimes called, that comes out of the Copper River in Alaska, is generally regarded as the best of all.

As far as grilled salmon goes, I have had the Copper River salmon before and it is very good indeed.

Buying your fish right

Besides cooking a whole salmon which would include the head and tail, there are two other types of cuts:

Salmon steaks

Salmon filet

What to look for when buying your fish

When buying a whole salmon this is what you want to see:

The fish should have a fresh sea smell

The skin should be glossy

The eyes should be clear and not cloudy

Look for bright red gills

The flesh should be light pink, firm to the touch and elastic

When buying filets or steaks:

The fish should have a fresh sea smell

The flesh should be moist and firm

The fish should have vibrant colors with no discoloration on the edges

Remember it really is important to buy your salmon as fresh as possible and to cook it within one or two days after you buy it. Fish breaks down very quickly once it dies.

Here are some basic cooking tips for your grilled salmon

I generally grill the salmon at medium heat

Leave the skin on the fish and keep the skin in tack

Get your food to room temperature and if you are using a marinade don't leave the fish in there longer than 15 minutes or it will begin to break down

Cook the salmon until the meat begins to turn an opaque color and begins to flake. That is when it is finished

When cooking a filet: it should take about 4 - 6 minutes for every 1/2 inch thickness. A normal filet takes between 12 and 15 minutes

When cooking a whole fish: it should take about 7 - 9 minutes for every 1/2 pound to cook

I cook my salmon in a make shift tray made from aluminum foil. This makes it much easier for the clean up

Other cooking options are, you can use a grilling basket to cook your food with or you could put the meat directly on the grill.

If you do either of these though, I would recommend that you oil the fish before hand so it doesn't stick to the grill or basket. Don't oil the grill or basket. Just the fish.

A very simple grilled salmon recipe you can try

Portions are based on a one pound fillet, but remember you can always change these to fit your tastes

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 fresh lemon

Just sprinkle your seasoning on the salmon and squeeze the lemon juice on the fish

Let the fish get to room temperature and you are ready to cook

Besides all the information we have here to help you cook a great meal, as our site begins to grow, it is our hope that we will have additional recipes for grilled salmon that you can try as well.

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SBI!