BBQ Joe’s Vietnam

Grilled Salmon

BBQ Joe’s Notes …

This white-wine-honey-cajun grilled salmon is a crowd pleaser … be careful not to overcook the salmon, a common mistake.  Salmon is a heavy meat, similar to a steak, meaning it will continue to cook a bit after you pull from a hot grill.  Better to undercook a bit and have to put it back on the grill than to overcook and have dried-out salmon.

  • Salmon can be purchased at Ben Thanh market early in the morning.  The “fish lady” will provide you with fresh cut pieces to your liking.  Get there early … after 10 am, its slim pickens!  An Phu supermarket in Thao Dien also has good pieces of salmon in the frozen foods section.
  • Salmon is very easy to cook and is takes very little grilling time … ten minutes from the time you put the salmon on the grill until the fish is on the table. 
  • Suggest you prepare the rest of the meal and pull the salmon from the grill and put it on the table to eat.  Mouth-watering hot salmon followed by a taste of white wine … awesome !
  • Salmon is great with grilled veggies.  Cook the veggies first, cover with foil to keep them warm.  Then after the fish is on its way from the grill to the table, warm up the veggies.
  • Preparation:
    • o Salmon Rub (below).
    • o Salmon Baste
      • 1 cup white wine
      • ½ cup honey
      • ½ cup soy sauce
      • Combine in a bowl for the microwave or saucepan for the stove and heat so that the honey melts into the wine and soy sauce.  You can also add a taste of ginger if you like, or adding bits of rind from a citrus fruit gives the baste a nice kick.

 

Salmon 1 Ben Thanh market
Salmon 2 Ben Thanh market
Salmon 2a Salmon Rub:

1 cup Old Bay Seasoning (or a cajun spice mix subsitutute)

About 1 spoonful of Thai Chili … (moderate to your heat level). Or adjust the volume to the quantity needed, but maintain the 10:1 ratio.

Grind together and rub generously on a rinsed piece of salmon.  Yes, its that simple !
Salmon 3 Direct heat, high temperature … 3 to 4 minutes a on the 1st side, which is the meat side … meaning … skin side UP.

Be sure to season the grill before cooking.  On a cold grill, take a bit of cooking oil and brush on the grill.  Bring the grill to full hot temperature.  This will prevent the fish from sticking to the BBQ.
Salmon 4 Turn over the salmon.  Direct heat continues … about 3 to 4 minutes. 
Salmon 5 Baste the salmon with BBQ Joe’s Salmon Baste.

Taking a spoon full of liquid and pour over the salmon every minute until you pull the salmon from the grill.  In between spoon-full of basting, put the lid back on the grill, take a sip of your beer, contemplate how good the life is at the moment, base the salmon again, then repeat.

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