Wild Salmon from grill is too dry
my local restaurant served me recently some wild salmon (slice) from the grill. It tasted delicious, but was pretty dry.
I'm aware that wild salmon has much less fat. So I'm wondering, is there any preparation or cooking technique for barbecuing wild salmon on the grill to avoid that the fish gets dry?
note: Placing the grill a bit higher, is not an option for a restaurant, where they grill several kind of fish at the same time
P.S.: there is a similar question here, but the answers focus on how to cook farmed salmon
Best Answer
The answer to "how do I grill plain wild salmon without it being dry" is both simple and hard: don't overcook it.
Wild salmon fillets are thinner, with less fat, than farmed salmon. As such, They go from "done" to "overcooked" in less than a minute. For a thin tail piece, for example, time on the grill should be only around 3-4 minutes. If you're not sure it's completely done, it's already done.
For this reason, I only order wild salmon at restaurants that are specifically seafood-focused, because I know that more general restaurants will overcook it.
Above is based on my experience as a resident of the US Pacific Northwest with a grill and a subscription to a wild salmon CSA.
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Why is my wild salmon dry?
Overcooked Salmon Is Dry Salmon goes from moist and silky to tough and dry when it's overcooked, even by just a minute or two. This can happen whether you're grilling it, baking it, broiling it, or cooking it on the stovetop, although some methods of preparation are better suited for salmon than others.How do you not overcook salmon on the grill?
Dramatically Overcooking If using a grill or a pan, sear salmon skin-side down on high heat until the skin is crispy. (Use a non-stick pan if you're still afraid of the skin sticking!)Is dry salmon overcooked?
Never suffer through dry, chalky, stringy salmon again. If you think you don't like salmon, chances are high that you're overcooking it. Overcooked salmon is super-firm and opaque orange all the way through and whether it's farm-raised or wild, it will be dry, chalky, and, frankly, a waste of your hard-earned cash.Perfectly GRILLED SALMON Every Time - Amazing Salmon Rub and Recipe
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Answer 2
Cedar planks.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/cedar-plank-salmon-4140628
So easy, so delicious and it works great.
Get cedar planks. You can pay big bucks for cedar planks intended for this use. Or you can buy cedar planks intended for use as siding or building cedar closets for very cheap. I have done both.
Soak plank. If you are a planner aheader, soak it over night. Weigh down the planks with a coffee cup of water. If you are a non planner aheader, microwave the plank and glass pan full of water and the coffee cup for a few minutes. You get the same result.
Put salmon on plank on grill. Salmon does not lose juice from below. It stays moist. And great plank flavor.
Discard plank. Usually this uses up the plank because it is all burned on the bottom. But if you grill on charcoal the fish-grease soaked plank makes great kindling for next time!
My psychic powers saw a comment in the future saying planks for use in construction contain poison and persons should buy the $3 each planks. Yes: do not cook on treated lumber. Part of the thing about cedar is that it does not need preservative. I could not determine that there was anything but cedar in any of the cedar. A 20 lb box of planks from the big box hardware store costs the same as a plastic wrapped set of 4 planks from the fancy cooking store. Do what you are comfortable doing.
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