Salmon Marinade for Whole Salmon
Try this Salmon Marinade for Whole Salmon recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Salmon Marinade for Whole Salmon recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 39.8905433445638 g
- Cholesterol 38.08 mg
- Fat 41.35396 g
- Fiber 7.70771684456268 g
- Protein 10.9005633338278 g
- Saturated Fat 10.75011 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (428g)
- Sodium 1349.41591666797 mg
- Sugar 32.1828265000012 g
- Trans Fat 3.5956315 g
- Calories 538 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix all ingredients together. Pour over flesh sides of salmon that have been cleaned, but skin left on. (Ive never tried this with anything but sides of salmon, steaks may work fine, I just havent tried them). Marinate for 2-12 hours in refrigerator.
- Remove fish from marinade and place skin side down on hot charcoal grill. Lay 2 slices of bacon over each side of salmon. Throw interesting wood chips on coals and cover grill (we use all kinds of things, apple wood, cherry wood, last years dried basil stems, a generous handful of fresh woody herbs such as thyme). You can use the marinade to baste once or twice. Cook until salmon just flakes at the thickest point. Remove salmon from grill, putting your spatula between skin and flesh. The skin will stay on the grill and the rest is delectable.
- If you have left overs, flake the salmon into small pieces and use in a salmon cake (patty) recipe. It adds a wonderful smoky flavor.
Standard fish rubs rely solely on dry spices and salt, but liquid marinades penetrate denser proteins through osmosis and diffusion. Combining an acid like lemon juice with umami-rich soy sauce creates a dual-action cure that breaks down outer muscle fibers while seasoning the interior. Finely chopping the onion ensures that aromatic volatile compounds release into the surrounding liquid rather than clumping on the fish surface.
Dairy and soy sensitivities require simple ingredient swaps without sacrificing structural integrity. Substitute the standard soy sauce with tamari at a one-to-one ratio to remove gluten, or use coconut aminos if avoiding soy entirely. Olive oil functions as the fat medium here, but melted butter works if dairy is tolerated. Bacon adds rendered animal fat during the cooking phase, though neutral oils or cured pork alternatives can replace it based on dietary needs.
Charcoal grilling introduces smoke, but adding wood chips like apple or cherry infuses complex phenolic compounds into the flesh. Place the fish skin-side down on a hot grate to create a barrier between the delicate muscle and direct heat. Basting with leftover marinade during the first half of cooking builds a glossy lacquer, but stop basting twenty minutes before removal to prevent pathogen cross-contamination.
Leftover grilled fish degrades rapidly in texture if stored improperly, so consume it within two days. Flaking chilled remnants into patties binds the dry proteins with binders like egg and breadcrumbs. This secondary application capitalizes on the concentrated smoke flavor developed during the initial charcoal cook.
