Grilled Salmon for Dad

A whole salmon (or fillet!), some onion & lemon, hot coals and a whole lot of memories in advance of Father's Day

Other posts I had in mind are going to have to wait, I’ve been delightfully sidetracked by the fact that Sunday is Father’s Day. I’ll be going to my brother’s house, with my sister and our respective spouses. And salmon will be going on the grill. I’m not sure how Tom’s planning to cook the fish exactly, I’m on snack and dessert duty that day! Though I know it’ll be relatively simple, not much needed with the glorious fresh salmon of summer. It’s the ideal centerpiece for a meal during which we’ll be thinking about, and toasting to, our dad. So that’s what you’re getting today. This newsletter draws from a blog post I wrote 15 years ago about Dad’s salmon, which you can read in full here should you wish (with more nostalgia and a few photos).

Wishing all the fathers (and uncles, mentors, other father figures) reading this a most Happy Father’s Day!

Dad’s Whole Grilled Salmon

Dad’s strengths and skills were many and varied. He played a mean harmonica, especially when sitting around a campfire (“Yellow Bird” was a signature tune). He had a brilliant, detailed engineer’s mind for problem-solving. He had a distinct knack for putting people at ease, making friends, making people laugh.

But cooking? He wasn’t a bad cook, but it wasn’t necessarily a high point for him. Though he did love having family over for dinner in later years. I have the funny memory of one dinner he’d cooked that began with a leek soup. I said how much I liked the soup and asked what all was in it. He goes down the list: leeks, onions, butter, potatoes, broth, cream…. “Damn,” he yells. “I forgot the cream!”

Dad was master, however, of the backyard grill. In our case, it was a backyard kamado that we’d brought back from Japan in the late 1960s. (The wildly popular Big Green Egg is inspired by the design of the kamado.) It was a fixture on our back patio, cranking out grilled salmon and a lot of grilled flank steak—other things, too, but that’s what I remember the most. I have yet to find a picture that includes the kamado, I’ll keep searching…..

His pièce de résistance at the grill was the whole salmon–done simply, as is best with such a glorious fish. Partly wrapped in foil, the flesh’s maximum moisture is preserved while some of that smoky essence from the charcoal embers embellishes the flavor. It was the showstopper for special dinners or to wow out-of-town visitors with our great local eats.

In fact, among the cards and notes I received after Dad died was one from a very dear friend in France. She wrote (in French that I’m roughly translating), “I’m touched in remembering the wonderful times we had together, the best grilled salmon I have ever eaten, a wonderful hike in the Olympics, a round of golf in Lynnwood, and his visit to France.” So his salmon can be said to have received international acclaim!

Recipes inspired by things my mom cooked have shown up in a number of books and other projects I’ve done over the years. Dad got his moment, too, when I wrote a salmon cookbook a couple of decades ago, with the inclusion of Grilled Whole Salmon Dad’s Way in that book. At least it’s my interpretation of his approach based on what I can recall. It made me so very happy to share some of his expertise with readers too.

From last May when we honored what would have been our parents' 100th birthdays (they were born less than 2 weeks apart). Seemed only appropriate to put salmon on the grill for such an occasion.

Grilled Whole Salmon Dad’s Way

from Salmon in the Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series

If you’re unable to find whole salmon, whole fillets will work too, as you can see in the photos above, reducing the cooking time by about half. Whole fish often will have had the head removed; if the head’s still on, you get the bonus of the delicious little salmon cheeks!

Of course there’s plenty of room for variation if you like: green onions instead of yellow, skip the lime and use just lemon, fresh thyme sprigs instead of parsley. I’d just caution to not add too much, to ensure the lovely, rich flavor of the salmon remains the star.

2 cups wood smoking chips (optional)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 whole salmon (about 5 to 7 pounds), head and tail intact preferably, gutted, cleaned and scaled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 large lemons (1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced)
1 lime, thinly sliced
Small handful flat-leaf parsley sprigs

Preheat an outdoor grill. Soak the smoking chips, if using, in a bowl of cold water.

Cut a piece of heavy-duty foil about 2 1/2 times the length of the fish. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of the melted butter lengthwise down the center third of the foil. Put the salmon on top of the butter. Season the belly of the fish with salt and pepper, then add the onion slices, lemon slices, and lime slices, distributing them evenly. Finally, add the parsley sprigs to the belly. Add the lemon juice to the remaining butter, stir well, and drizzle this over the surface of the fish.

Fold the ends of the foil up over the fish to meet in the center. Crimp the foil along the long side edges so they’re well sealed without too snugly enclosing the fish. At the top center, where the foil ends meet, fold back to make a loose opening, making sure the sides remain sealed to hold the juices during cooking.

When the grill is hot, if using a charcoal grill spread the coal out in an even layer. Drain the smoking chips and scatter them over the coals (if using a gas grill, follow manufacturer’s instructions). Carefully set the salmon packet in the center of the grill grate, cover the grill, and cook until only a slight hint of translucence remains in the center of the thickest part (gently pull back some of the foil and poke into the flesh with the tip of a knife to check), 20 to 30 minutes. Lift the salmon packet onto a heatproof platter, fold back the foil so that the cooking liquids are retained. Serve right away.

Makes 8 to 12 servings

It’s not a great photo, dates back 15 years to the blog post I wrote—but you get the gist of the whole fish prepped to go on the grill. Time for me to cook it in the whole form again and update my photos!!