Grilled Salmon With Lemon Cucumber Salad Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• Zest lemons to yield 2 tablespoons zest.
• Sprinkle salmon fillets with 1 1/2 tablespoons zest (set remaining zest and whole lemons aside) and 1 1/2 tablespoons dill, dividing evenly among fillets and patting to adhere.
• Wrap fillets in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Slice cucumber paper-thin on a mandoline or other handheld slicer.
• Cut onions in half.
• In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add cucumber, onions, remaining lemon zest and dill, and toss gently to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for indirect heat.
• If using a gas grill, turn all burners to high and close lid. When the temperature inside the grill reaches 400°, lift lid and turn off one of the burners, creating the indirect-heat area.
• If using a charcoal grill, light 50 to 60 briquets and let burn until just covered with ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Mound them to one side, leaving a cleared area for indirect cooking.
• Fold two 12- by 18-in. pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil in half widthwise to form rectangles. Using the tip of a small knife, make holes in rectangles about 2 inches apart and widen each hole to the size of a dime. Grease foil with olive oil; set over direct heat for 2 minutes.
• Brush salmon skins with oil. Set 2 fillets, skin side down, on each foil rectangle.
• Cover grill (if using charcoal, open vents on lid) and cook fish until skin is light brown and really sizzling, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Using tongs, slide foil to indirect heat, cover, and cook until all but top 1/4 inches is cooked, 3 to 8 minutes.
• Slide fish back over direct heat, cover, and cook until fish is cooked through (cut to test) and skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer foil with salmon to a rimless baking sheet and, sliding an offset cake spatula or other thin spatula between salmon skin and foil, very gently free fish from foil.
• Season each fillet with salt and a few drops of juice from a remaining lemon.
• Serve with cucumber salad.