GRILLED salmon for summer

The summer heat is on and there is little desire for heavy meals. In addition to the abundance of fruits and vegetables to supply the minerals and vitamins you need, you still have to find sources of protein that will fit perfectly into a light fare.

Good nutrition

If you are a fish eater, salmon is one of the healthiest fish you can enjoy. Salmon provides essential omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the risk of unwanted inflammation and strengthen the immune and circulatory systems. Salmon is a rich source of protein and is an excellent source of selenium, niacin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, phosphorus and magnesium. It is also low in calories and saturated fat.

Salmon in Jamaica, available from the retail trade in supermarkets or fish outlets, is imported and may come as farmed or wild. Wild salmon usually comes from the Pacific Ocean or Alaskan coastline and may include names like chinook, coho, chum, king, pink, red, silver, sockeye and sake. Wild salmon is said to have a fishier, stronger flavour than farmed salmon.

Farmed salmon

Farmed salmon is raised in open pens and cages in coastal waters. The environmental concern is that waste from these farms is released directly into the ocean, which may cause parasites and diseases from farmed salmon to spread to wild fish swimming nearby. One of the biggest concerns in farming salmon is the amount of food required to raise farmed salmon. It generally takes three pounds of wild fish to grow one pound of farmed salmon, threatening to reduce the wild fish. (www.monetreybaycquarium.org)

Light meals

Salmon is an excellent product for the summer and for light meals in general, for example supper. Salmon lends itself to easy grilling and, since you should be enjoying the outdoor weather, salmon will definitely add variety. Besides being healthy, salmon tastes great and lends itself to several different cooking styles like grilling, broiling, roasting or poaching in the oven. Coho salmon, also called silver salmon, is less prized, and therefore less expensive than sockeye or king salmon. Salmon used in Japanese cooking is known as sake.

Buying salmon

In buying salmon, the skin should be on, If possible, buy a whole salmon side. When you get home, you will have to skin it and remove the bones, pulling them out one at a time going against the grain of the fish. You may purchase fillet from the thickest part of the fish.

Essential tools

Depending on how you decide to prepare and cook your salmon, you will need some basic tools to you cook the salmon in a number of ways. Your list includes:

• Grill
• Roasting pan
• Olive oil
• Pastry brush
• Butter
• Lime/lemon juice/wedges
• Tarragon
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Brown sugar
• White wine

Tips for grilling salmon

One of the simplest ways to cook salmon is to grill it. This tends to be the healthiest way to prepare this fish. Salmon does not take long to cook on a grill and it keeps a lot of its original flavour. Here are some suggestions to get you cooking the salmon.

1. Grill it in your oven or purchase a specially-designed tabletop grill.

2. Grill outdoors when the weather is tolerable.

3. It is much easier to grill a salmon steak than a whole salmon. But if you do choose to grill a whole salmon, you will need to make about three slashes on each side of the fish.

4. Place the fish as far from the heat as possible to prevent burning. Heat the grill for at least five minutes before you placing the fish on it. An important tip for grilling is to place the oil on the actual fish, not on the grill. This will prevent it from sticking.

5. Season the fish as desired, but do not add salt before cooking the fish as this will eliminate the juices that you want to keep the fish moist.

Grilled salmon with a hint of jerk

Ingredients

One 2¹/²-pound salmon fillet

¹/² cup wet jerk seasoning

3tbs extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Rub jerk seasoning over fish and set aside for at least an hour.

2. Prepare grill and heat to 375F. Be sure to remove all traces of food from the last grilling.

3.
When hot, drizzle olive oil over fish fillet and place on the grill.
Cover and grill for seven to eight minutes. Turn the fillet with two
spatulas and do not overcook or you will get a tough product.

4. Cut into portions, and serve hot with fresh watercress, grilled bell peppers, onions and corn on the cob.

5. Accompanying sauce could be made from oranges or tamarind.