Garlic is usually ready for harvesting from the garden in June and July. Fresh garlic from your own back yard, patio or farmer’s market far outshines those dry heads from the supermarket.
Grilled salmon is the perfect summer dish to go with that garlic. Add fresh herbs and lemon zest, and you have a powerhouse of flavor and nutrition. On the grill or in a pan, this is the perfect main dish to go with your other fresh summer produce!
For more health information on garlic, click here.
Grilled Salmon with Herbed Garlic Butter
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 (4 to 6 ounce) salmon fillets, center cut with skin on
Kosher salt and black pepper (a pinch of each per fillet)
1/2 cup European butter, like Kerry Gold, at room temperature
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of one fresh herb or a mixture (dill, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme), minced
Zest of one lemon (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Instructions:
- Bring salmon to room temperature (about 20 minutes).
- Preheat the grill to medium high — about 400 to 450 degrees F depending on the grill.
- In the meantime, make the butter mixture. In a small saucepan heat the butter and minced garlic until butter is melted. Take off the heat and add the herbs and lemon zest.
- Set the salmon on a sheet pan and pat it dry. Remove any bones. Season with salt and pepper.
- Brush the fillets on both sides with the butter sauce.
- Clean the hot grates with a grill brush and oil the grates well with a high smoke point oil like peanut or grapeseed.
- Brush the flesh side of the fillet another time with the butter mixture and place flesh side down so the skin is facing you on the preheated and oiled grill. Close the lid and grill the salmon for about three to four minutes or until you see a thin layer of opaque or cooked flesh closest to the heat.
- Gently flip over the fillets and brush the flesh side again with the butter mixture. Lower the grill temperature to medium — about 350 degrees F and close the lid. Cook for another two to five minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Take the salmon off the grill and let it rest for about five minutes as it will continue to cook.
Adapted from www.thekitchengirl.com
