Labour Day generally gets people thinking about grilling up the last of summer's burgers and steaks.
A leaner alternative is a full-bodied fillet of salmon. And topping it off is not a slice or two of cheese, but a robust, chunky, vegetablepacked vinaigrette.
Salmon's richness always cries out for a little acid, even if it's nothing more than a squeeze of lemon. This recipe's gazpacho vinaigrette ups the ante. Gazpacho is a cold Spanish soup with many variations, but the basic recipe is a refreshing tomato-based vegetable soup. Here I've added extra-virgin olive oil and sherry wine vinegar, transforming soup into a chunky vinaigrette dressing.
It's delicious and, unlike a traditional vinaigrette, it didn't need much oil.
Vinaigrette is a balancing act of oil and acid, usually with a 3-to-1 ratio of oil to vinegar. To lighten a dressing, use a strongly flavoured ingredient for at least some of the oil. In this case, beautiful late summer tomatoes do the job.
As for the salmon, even if you don't plan to eat the skin (it's delicious!), you should grill it with the skin on. It crisps beautifully on the hot grates and acts as a buffer between the grill and the flesh. As long as the skin's on, the fish won't stick to the grill and the meat remains succulent. I cook the salmon for most of its time on the skin side and give it a just few minutes on the flesh side.
How do you know when the salmon is done? You stick a paring knife through it. If you feel heavy resistance at the centre, it needs more time. If you feel just a little resistance, it is still slightly undercooked. I take it off the grill when I feel just a little resistance and let it sit for a few minutes. The residual heat will finish cooking it.
Your labour complete, you can plate up your fillet, pour yourself a cold beer or a dry white wine, and soak up just a little more summer before it disappears again for a year.
GRILLED SALMON WITH CHUNKY GAZPACHO VINAIGRETTE
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes (about
2 medium tomatoes), diced
4-inch piece English cucumber, diced
- Kosher salt
1/2 clove garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- Black pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Four 6-to 8-ounce pieces centrecut salmon or arctic char fillets, skin on
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Chopped fresh herbs (such as basil, chives, tarragon, cilantro or parsley), to garnish (optional)
HEAT GRILL TO MEDIUM. IN A MEDIUM BOWL, TOSS
together the pepper, tomatoes, cucumber and 1 tsp of /2 salt. Mix well, then spoon half of the mixture into a blender.
To the blender, add the garlic, vinegar, a few grinds of pepper and the olive oil. Purée until smooth. Add the puree to the bowl of diced vegetables, stir well and season with salt and pepper.
Use paper towels to pat dry the salmon fillets.
Spray the fillets all over with the olive oil spray, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Arrange the fillets, skin side down, on the grill grate over direct medium heat. Cover and cook until the flesh right next to the skin looks opaque, 6 to 7 minutes.
Flip the fillets and cook until just cooked through, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the fish from the grill using a wide metal spatula.
To serve, divide the sauce between 4 shallow bowls, then set a piece of salmon over each, skin side up (you can easily peel off and discard the skin at this point, if desired). Garnish with chopped herbs, if desired.
Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years, has hosted several Food Network shows and has written three cookbooks.
