Cooking salmon.
For BBQ cooking, should the salmon file retain the skin to prevent the fish from falling apart on the grill or should the skin be removed?
In case of skinless fillet would aluminum foil be used to ease the cooling process?
Should the cover of BBQ remains open or closed?

Thank you

I left the skin on but it can be removed if you like.

Not sure exactly what you mean when you say "aluminum foil used to ease the cooking process? Do you mean would it help to prevent sticking? It can be tricky to grill fish as it can easily stick. The grill must be well greased or you can use a fish grilling basket.

As for the lid, we closed it while the fish was cooking.

Hope this helps - good luck!

Thanks Dawn for your quick response. Yes, the aluminum foil sprayed with vegetable oil I usually use when grilling the fish. I also make a couple of slits in the foil before placing the fish on it. By using aluminum foil I prevent the fish from breaking and falling through the grill opening. Unfortunately even when I oil the grids the skinless fish still sticks to the grill. Maybe it is time to change the grids?

Thanks for tips!

This is my new fav - the flavor was amazing.

Now my pantry will always have Kriek as a staple!

Thanks for sharing.

This marinade was outstanding. I used the Mort Subite kriek beer. The second reduction for topping the grilled fish was excellent. Salmon has never been my favourite fish, but with this marinade, I will look forward to making it again.

Do you baste the Salmon with the glaze as it's cooking?

I did not baste the salmon as it already has lots of flavor from the marinade and also the marinade is being served with it later. If you do baste the salmon be careful of flare ups. Cheers!

I usually cook it indirect, so flare ups shouldn't be an issue, but I don't want to over do the seasoning

Dawn, you indicated you left the skin on the salmon. Do you start with skin side down? When cooking fish with the skin on do you subscribe to the theory of 3/4 of the total cooking time with skin side down?

Yes, I started with the salmon skin-side down. Cooking it about 3/4's of the way through is a pretty good general rule, when cooking fish with the skin on, but of course there are always exceptions.

For more information on cooking fish, see the lesson called "How to Pan Fry Fish" (and even "Cooking Fish Fundamentals") as we go into quite a bit more detail on this subject. Cheers!

Thanks, Dawn, for the information. I've now done the 2 lessons you indicated. I love how, when responding to comments, you guys just naturally segue into another yummy lesson. Can't wait to try making beurre blanc.

You are most welcome Gloria. And just for the record, we love when we you take the time (as you seem to always do) to do the lessons that we suggest. That's the beauty of cooking, it's all related, so it's hard for us to stop ourselves :-) Cheers!

I can't find Kriek beer in our liquor stores here. We have a beer from Belgium called Fruil, it's a very nice lightly sweet strawberry beer, would that work? Also, could you BBQ this on a cedar plank or would that give it a whole different taste?

The Kriek beer has a dry and tart flavor because it is made with sour morello cherries. If the Fruli is only slightly sweet, you could give it a try. Taste it and think about how you'd like it with the other flavors in the dish. Obviously it will be different, but it is worth experimenting. And, yes, the cedar plank will definitely add another layer of flavor - especially when grilled on a cedar plank. If you like the hint of cedar, certainly give it a try. Let us know how it goes. Cheers!

Thanks Kimberley, I decided not to use the Fruli, and ended up finding a specialty beer shop in town. They didn't have Kriek, but they recommended the Cassis Lambic which is also from the same company. I can't say as I tasted the beer in the marinade, but the salmon was extremely flavourful and moist. I used the cedar plank on the grill. If I ever find the Kriek beer I definitely want to make this again....excellent recipe! Thankyou!

In my opinion, unless you're a super taster, the beer won't be the only highlight of the marinade, but rather provide it with some underlying flavor notes... so substitutes are fine. It's a hassle when you have to find an exact ingredient, so I'm glad you made a substitution. Most importantly, the fish was seasoned and cooked properly. The cedar planks are great. I used one this past weekend for salmon and it was delicious. Cheers!

Only because I noted several people earlier concerned about fish sticking on the grill, I offer the following "miracle" cure.

I don't recall where I learned this, but it is fool proof (I've been doing it for decades). Simply brush a small amount of mayo on both sides. Yep, that's it! I always oil my grill, so I imagine that plays a part as well, but I'm confident the mayo is the answer because I have NEVER had my fish stick to a preheated and oiled grill. BTW, you will NOT taste the mayo (even if the only seasoning is salt and pepper). Cheers indeed! ;o)

What works best? Rice or mash potatoes? As for tofu, as anyone tried it? Thanks :)

Either rice or mashed potatoes would work for this dish. In fact, the picture is taken with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. This would also be nice served with a side salad and/or your favorite grain.

As for this recipe being used for tofu, I have not tried it myself, but I imagine it would be pretty good. Tofu is a very neutral flavored protein that tends to go well with many different sauces and flavorings. Hope that helps. Cheers!