Charcoal Grilled Soy Ginger Salmon #FishFridayFoodies

This charcoal grilled soy ginger salmon is bursting with flavor from the sticky roasted marinade but what really makes the salmon divine is the smokiness from the hot charcoal.

I know a lot of people swear by their gas grills. I’m even related to some. Certainly, you can make grill marks with a gas grill and you can even throw in some wood chips as long as they are in a box or covered with foil. But in our humble opinion, you just aren’t going to match the taste of meat, seafood or even vegetables grilled over coal.

We feel so strongly about this that we actually own two Weber grills, a big one and a small one. Which one we use depends on how many people we are feeding. My husband hates to waste charcoal. He’s usually the one in charge of the grill and he has the whole process down to a fine art.

If you are a fan of seafood on the grill, you might also enjoy my piri-piri grilled whole baby grouper, my spicy Balinese grilled fish or my stuffed fresh sardines wrapped in parma ham then grilled.

Charcoal Grilled Soy Ginger Salmon

Depending on how widely spaced the bars on your grill are, you may need an additional grate to lay on top to keep your fish from falling through the gaps. I bought one on Amazon < affiliate link – which is non-stick and works wonderfully. You could also simply lay the fish on a piece of heavy-duty foil.

Ingredients (to serve 4)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled (about 1 tablespoon grated)
1/4 cup or 60ml soy sauce
3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
1 tablespoon good quality Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/4 lb or 567g wild salmon fillet, skin on

For garnish:
Chopped cilantro

Method
Grate the ginger and garlic into a small bowl.

Add in the rest of the marinade ingredients and stir well. Set aside.

Cut your salmon fillet into four portions but DO NOT cut through the skin below. We want what appears to be one whole piece so the skin will help hold it together as it cooks but we also want to be able to spoon marinade between the portions.

Place the fish in a shallow dish and spoon the marinade over it and between the pieces, reserving perhaps a third for basting when it’s grilling.

Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to cook but at least 30 minutes.

Light a good size pile of briquettes in your grill. They are ready for cooking when the outsides are mostly grey with a red core, about 20 minutes.

Spread the coals around evenly.  The goal is a medium-hot fire.

Put your grate on the grill, if needed, then lay the salmon on top, skin side down.

Put the lid on, with vents partially open, and cook for about 8-12 minutes until the salmon is just barely cooked through, according to the thickness of the fish or to your liking. Baste halfway through with the reserved marinade.

With wild salmon, the kind I normally cook, you want to err on the side of undercooked vs overcooked because it is lean and can dry out. Farm-raised salmon will take a bit longer.

The FDA recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145°F or 63°C. If you have an instant read thermometer, stick it in the thickest part of the fillet for the most accurate reading. Get it up just past 130°F or 54°C and it will reach optimum temperature while it rests in foil.

Remove from the grill and rest, wrapped loosely with foil for 10 minutes.

Garnish with some chopped cilantro, if desired, and serve.

Enjoy!


This month my Fish Friday Foodies friends are cooking seafood outdoors at the instigation of our host and group leader, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out all the great recipes below:

• Cajun Boil on the Grill from Making Miracles
• Charcoal Grilled Soy Ginger Salmon by Food Lust People Love
• Crawdadding with Cousins Means Jambalaya by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Green Chilly Basil Pesto Grilled Prawns by Sneha's Recipe
• Grilled Garlic Shrimp with Yuzu Kosho by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Mojo Sauce from Veggies First Then Dessert
• Grilled Mahi Mahi with Blueberry Wild Rice Pilaf by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Grilled Shrimp Souvlaki on Pita from Palatable Pastime
• Spiced Shrimp on a Stick from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Are you a food blogger who would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

Pin this Charcoal Grilled Soy Ginger Salmon! 

 .