Grilling Salmon: Star Chef Ali Güngörmüş Shares His Best Recipe

August 17, 2021, 8:42 am | Read time: 4 minutes

While steak, sausages, and vegetables often end up on the grill, fish is still considered an exotic choice. But it doesn’t have to be! In this episode of “School of Grill,” TV and Michelin-starred chef Ali Güngörmüş shows how to perfectly grill salmon over charcoal.

Many amateur grillers are cautious with fish on the grill–and for good reason: The flesh has a different structure and can easily fall apart. That’s why it’s important to use a suitable tool to keep the fish together. In this episode of “School of Grill,” Ali Güngörmüş uses a fish basket to secure the salmon. He also adds scales to the fish–made from zucchini. You can see how he does it in the video at the top of the article.

Grilling Salmon – Recipe by Ali Güngörmüş

In addition to a preheated charcoal grill, you’ll need the following ingredients for “Salmon in a Grill Basket with Fennel-Orange-Melon Salad”:

1 side of salmon with skin
1 zucchini
1 watermelon
1 fennel
1 scallion
1 chili pepper
1 orange
1/2 lime
1/2 red onion
Salt
Pepper
Vadouvan
Olive oil

The recipe serves at least four people. First, wash and pat dry the side of salmon. Then season with salt, pepper, and Vadouvan, a spice blend that includes fermented garlic, fennel seeds, and onions. For the “scales,” slice a zucchini into thin pieces and layer them on the fish. Before securing it in the fish basket, drizzle some olive oil over it. Then place it on the grill with the zucchini side down. Once it’s cooked on one side, flip it over and, if necessary, move it to the indirect heat area (not directly over the coals).

Grilled salmon with salad — This is how the grilled salmon with the colorful summer salad looks

For the summer salad, cut a slice of watermelon, which also goes on the grill for a few minutes until grill marks appear. Meanwhile, finely chop the fennel bulb, scallion, and chili pepper. Then cut the orange into segments and add them. A few spritzes of lime add extra freshness and acidity. Season the salad with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Top the salad with sliced red onion, which the chef also marinates with oil and pepper. Finally, remove the watermelon slice from the grill and arrange the salad on top.

Grilling Salmon – What to Watch Out For

“When grilling salmon, I wouldn’t remove the skin,” says Ali Güngörmüş in “School of Grill.” The skin holds the fish together. Additionally, there are generally two options for grilling fish: either use a fish basket–as in our case–or a wooden plank placed on the grill. You can learn how to use the wooden plank method in this article.

The chef also adds zucchini scales to the fish for two reasons. Firstly, they serve as a tasty vegetable side dish, and secondly, the slices protect the salmon from the heat. Alternatively, potatoes can be used for this purpose. You can tell if the salmon is done by its color, texture, and the rising juices. However, it’s okay if the fish is still slightly undercooked in some areas.

Want to see how Michelin-starred chef Ali Güngörmüş prepares the salmon with the colorful fennel-orange-melon salad? Then watch the episode of “School of Grill” at the top of the article. Enjoy grilling!

Also in the School of Grill:

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.