I am nearly finished translating Encarnación Pinedo's cookbook, El cocinero español.
What caught my attention recently was this rather simple-looking set of instructions. You can find it on page 197:
My Translation:
I love salmon and my grill was clean and ready to play, so it seemed like the right time to try it.
My Redaction
10 ounces of salmon fillets
olive oil (fine, of course!)
salt and pepper to taste
two pieces of parchment paper, each big enough to wrap around both fillets
a preheated grill
I poured some olive oil in the bottom of a container big enough to hold the fillets and spread it around to cover the entire bottom. The salmon went on top and then more oil was poured over it. I pushed the fish around in the oil to make sure all surfaces were generously coated. The container went into the refrigerator.
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| Pre-cold |
My intent was to marinate the fish for about an hour, but a scheduling glitch meant I had to wait a day before I could cook them. In total, they were in the oil for about 26 hours. I think this did not make a big difference because the oil became solid.
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| Post-cold |
As the grill preheated, I put two layers of parchment paper on the counter and spread the top surface with some of the olive oil from the fish. I then sprinkled some salt and pepper on the oil. This wasn't measured -- I just sprinkled what looked like a good amount without feeling like I was putting on too much.
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| I pushed the pepper around with my fingers to get a better distribution. |
Then I put the salmon on top and sprinkled it with more salt and pepper.
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| I reversed the thin and the thick sides. |
Finally, I wrapped the paper around the fish, making a neat little package and tying it with a string. The paper ends were both folded to the same side, putting more paper on that side than the other.
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| Two layers on top, ten on the bottom |
The grill's temperature was 400 degrees F when I opened the lid, which I don't consider a very moderate heat, so I turned the flames down to their lowest setting. The packet went onto the grill rack (bow side up!) over the two active flames, and I left the lid open while it cooked. I could hold my hand over the heat for about 5 seconds before it became too warm to continue.
It took just a few minutes before I heard sizzling. After ten minutes, I could feel that the upper surface was no longer refrigerator cold, so I turned the packet over.
I let it cook another five minutes and declared it was ready (and hoped I guessed right).
Here is the result when the packet was opened:
Notice the moisture and oil around it. It smelled great, it looked great.
The Verdict
I served each filet sliced, on top of a Caesar salad that also had Romaine lettuce, fresh avocado, Parmesan cheese, croutons, and a Caesar dressing.
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| Dressing was added after the picture was taken |
I tasted the salmon by itself first. It was ... marvelous. Moist, tender, flavorful. The salt, pepper, and oil combination seemed to enhance the flavor of the fish without shifting it away from tasting like salmon. Not too salty, not too anything. I wanted to eat the entire filet right then after having the first bite.
My guest taster liked it, too. He prefers his salmon to be very rare, so I was concerned I would overcook it with my timing.
It was not very rare, but it didn't matter to him. He enjoyed it all the same because it was so moist and flavorful. You can see in this close-up that the fish was cooked thoroughly, but it did not get dry at all.
The entire salad was excellent, too. The salmon went well with the Caesar combination.
I loved this cooking method and would gladly do it again. It was nice to know that I could cook it without overcooking it, that it would stay moist and flavorful. A simple olive oil, salt, and pepper seasoning was just perfect.
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