This week, we're having a focus on fall grilling. What makes fall grilling special? Well, this time of the year is brimming with a bountiful harvest and cooler temperatures make cooking and eating outside downright blissful. This time of the year I'm more likely to cook most, if not all, of a meal on the grill. Give some of this week's offerings a try and see if you don't find yourself doing the same.
This first recipe is for a simple meal of salmon, beans, and lemons all prepared on a hot grill plate. I have a hibachi-style plate that covers the entirety of my gas grill that I use, but I've also used 1-2 smaller grill plates as needed. I like to grill the salmon skin enough for it to become crispy and the beans long enough to have some texture and be just gently limp. The grilled lemon is a thing of beauty and I tend to grill lemons from late spring through late fall and squeeze them over … well, just about everything!
For a meal like this, I simply pour a glass of chilled white wine, cider, or beer and dig in. You could add some rice pilaf or the like, but it's a meal on its own too. I tend to tuck in to what was made on the grill and save a little room for a bit of dessert later in the day. Enjoy!
Grilled Salmon, Beans & Lemons
- 2 lbs. fresh green or yellow beans, trimmed
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 lbs. boneless salmon fillets, skin on
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt - I used Kinder's woodfired garlic seasoning
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Trim the beans and halve the lemon; set aside. Season the salmon; set aside.
Prepare your grill by placing a grill griddle pan or hibachi grill pan/plate on it and heating it to medium-high heat (about 400°F) - place your lemon halves to the rack above your cooking surface as you preheat the grill. Brush the surface of your preheated surface with the canola oil and add the beans and salmon - skin side down - to the oiled surface; set a timer for 4 minutes and close the lid of your grill.
After your timer sounds, use a metal spatula to carefully flip the salmon and move the beans to allow even cooking. Move the lemon halves - cut side down - onto the cooking surface. Set a timer for 2-3 minutes (depending on your preferences for salmon) and close the lid of your grill.
When the timer sounds, flip the salmon again, move the beans again, and - using a set of metal tongs - squeeze one of the lemon halves over the fish and beans. Turn the grill off and remove the fish, beans, and lemon to a platter. Serve warm.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes