This has been my recipe of choice for grilled salmon for years. It came from Hot off the Grill by Bobby Flay. Bobby Flay has a way of combining ingredients that sing with flavor. We were fortunate to eat at Mesa Grill when we were in New York and I have to say, we had one of the best meals ever. For the two of us, I bought a 1 1/2 pound piece of center cut salmon and we had leftovers which I used to make the Barefoot Contessa’s Salmon Salad served on a bed of lettuce. I will include that recipe also.
SALMON WITH BROWN SUGAR AND MUSTARD GLAZE
8 salmon fillets, 6 ounce each
3 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tbls honey
2 Tbls butter
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls ginger, finely chopped
2 Tbls oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down ( I had the butcher remove the skin ) on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes. ( We cooked it a little longer )
If you grill a whole fillet of salmon, you will have enough to make the full salmon salad recipe. I halved all of the ingredients and used what salmon I had left.
BAREFOOT CONTESSA’S SALMON SALAD
2 pounds cooked salmon, chilled
1 cup small-diced celery ( 3 stalks)
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
2 Tbls minced fresh dill
2 Tbls capers, drained
2 Tbls raspberry vinegar
2 Tbls good olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Break the salmon into very large flakes, removing any skin and bones, and place the salmon in a bowl. Add the celery, red onion, dill, capers, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Season to taste. Mix well and serve cold or at room temperature.