Grilled Salmon With Meyer Lemons And Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipes

GRILLED SALMON WITH HERB AND MEYER LEMON COMPOUND BUTTER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, zest, herbs and garlic. Mix until everything is well mixed. Season, to taste, with salt. If using right away, keep the butter at room temperature. If making ahead, reserve in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using.
• Preheat grill to medium.
• Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Season with salt and coat with olive oil. Brush and oil the grill. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the clean, preheated grill. After 2 to 3 minutes, rotate the salmon 90 degrees to create cross-hatch grill marks on the salmon skin. Cook the salmon for another 3 to 4 minutes. As the salmon cooks it will turn from translucent orange to opaque pink.
• Turn the salmon over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. If the salmon starts to burn, or the flames flare up move the fish to a cooler part of the grill.* Remove from the grill and top with the room temperature compound butter. The butter should act as a sauce and melt over and coat the grilled salmon.
• What a delish fish!
• *Tip: It is a general rule to cook fish for 8 minutes per inch of thickness. I like salmon cooked to about medium, so I cook mine for a little less.

GRILLED SALMON WITH MEYER LEMONS AND CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• To prepare the salmon:
• To prepare the salmon: Brush the skin side of the salmon fillets with some olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and place the fillets skin side up in the dish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the creamy cucumber salad: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Fold in the cucumber until completely coated. Taste and adjust the lemon juice or salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 2 hours.
• Prepare a medium-hot grill. Lightly oil the grill grate.
• Place the fillets skin side down on the grill and brush them with the marinade. Cover the grill and cook without flipping until the salmon flakes, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush the lemon slices on both sides with oil and grill until marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Arrange the fish on individual plates or a serving platter. Place 1 or 2 grilled lemon slices on top of each fillet and dust with chives. Serve with the cucumber salad.
• Store leftover salmon and cucumber salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

LEMON GRILLED SALMON WITH CORN SALAD

Steps:

• For the corn salad: In bowl combine corn, sweet pepper, chives, basil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• For the salmon seasoning mixture: In small bowl, combine lemon peel, cumin, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
• Lightly coat both sides of salmon with nonstick spray.
• Sprinkle seasoning mixture over salmon fillets.
• For CHARCOAL grill, grill salmon fillets on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, carefully turning once halfway through grilling.
• For GAS grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place salmon fillets on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.
• Sprinkle a bit of paprika on the salmon.
• Mix blueberries into the corn salad and serve grilled salmon with corn salad.
• Garnish with lemon slices and/or fresh basil sprigs.

MEYER LEMON CREAM SAUCE FOR SALMON

Steps:

• Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook salmon, skin side-up, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn salmon and continue cooking until skin side is slightly browned and fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. Press garlic into the butter using a garlic press and cook for 1 minute. Pour in cream and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and dill. Be careful that the sauce doesn't break.
• Serve sauce over salmon.

GRILLED SALMON WITH SMASHED CUCUMBER-DATE SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the salmon: Prepare a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill (alternatively, cook the salmon indoors on a grill pan); the coals should be medium-hot and the rack should be positioned about 6 inches from the fire. Place the salmon fillets on a cutting board, skin-side down. Cut down the center of each fillet lengthwise along the center seam. Cut through the flesh but not the skin. Draw the salmon flesh apart at the incision, flattening the fillets, leaving them skin-side down. Fold each fillet into a horseshoe shape, bending it back onto itself, so it resembles a boneless salmon steak. Brush each piece of fish lightly on both sides with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
• Grill the salmon just until the flesh firms and grill marks appear, about 2 1/2 minutes on the first side and about 1 1/2 minutes on the second side. Rotate each fillet one quarter-turn (90 degrees) and grill just long enough to mark the fillets, completing a cross-hatch pattern, less than 1 minute. Turn the fillets over and repeat the grilling and rotating procedure until the other sides show the cross-hatch grill markings. Remove the fish from the grill and reserve. (The salmon can be grilled up to 1 hour in advance of the meal.)
• Prepare the salad: Roll the cucumber pieces up in a clean linen napkin or towel, and then smash them, pressing down hard with the heels of your hands while ensuring the towel doesn't unroll, to release the juices. Transfer the crushed cucumbers to a cutting board, and then coarsely chop. Combine the cucumbers, sliced fennel, dates, walnuts, chives and some of the fennel fronds in a salad bowl and mix gently.
• Finish cooking the salmon and dress the salad: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the salmon fillets in a baking dish, brush each one lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and roast about 3 1/2 minutes for medium-rare.
• Meanwhile, dress the cucumber salad with the lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of fruity olive oil. Then season with sea salt and pepper. Toss the salad lightly, and then arrange equal portions on each of six plates. Top each portion of salad with a grilled salmon fillet. Drizzle a little fruity olive oil on top of each portion, garnish each plate with fennel fronds and serve.

GRILLED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER-YOGURT SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers, yogurt, garlic and dill and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 6 hours.
• Preheat gas grill to medium-high. Rub salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Oil grill and cook salmon, skin side down, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a wide spatula to flip salmon; grill until just opaque, another 4 to 5 minutes.
• Season cucumber salad with salt and pepper and serve alongside salmon.