Recipe: Orange Barbecue-Glazed Salmon with Asparagus
PETER TAYLOR
WHEN THE WEATHER gets warm, take your cooking outside to keep oven heat out of your kitchen. This recipe for grilled salmon and asparagus, from Chef Adam Pugh of City Smoke, makes for a quick, refreshing meal.
Tip: Rest larger pieces of meat (thick cut steaks and chops) on the coolest part of the grill once cooking is complete. This allows the meat’s internal temperature to decrease more slowly, retaining natural juices and moisture without over cooking.
Tip: Be generous with your glaze. If you’d like something a little more simple, chop up whatever herbs you have and fold them into some room temperature butter, then slather it on the cooked meat as it rests. Butter makes everything better.
Tip: Asparagus takes little time to cook. A minute on the grill is enough. Cooking it any longer will destroy your produce. Asparagus should have a snap.
Tip: When buying asparagus, check that the produce is upright, stems submerged in water, and plump. When you spread the tips apart, the asparagus should be dry on the inside of the bundle. If it’s wet, move on—the asparagus is past its peak freshness.
PETER TAYLOR
Orange Barbecue-Glazed Grilled salmon with asparagus
Serves 4
Recipe from City Smoke
Ingredients:
4 8-ounce pieces of salmon, skinned and trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons fresh-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, salted
1 ounce chives, chopped
8 ounces orange barbecue glaze (made in advance, recipe below)
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1. Preheat the grill or light charcoal, allowing 30 minutes to preheat.
2. Season all sides of the fish with oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat orange barbecue glaze (recipe below) in a 4-quart pot on the grill.
4. When salmon has rested 30 minutes at room temperature, place flesh side down on the hottest part of the grill, then close the grill and let cook no more than 2 minutes.
5. Using tongs or a metal spatula, turn all four pieces of salmon 90 degrees and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
6. Turn salmon over, then begin spooning the warm glaze over the freshly marked flesh side of the salmon, putting extra glaze in the crevices created by the grill grates. Close grill and cook an additional 2 minutes.
7. Turn the salmon 90 degrees, continuing to add glaze to the salmon. The glaze should begin caramelizing.
8. Remove from grill and let rest about 8 minutes. Fish should be medium/medium-rare in the middle with crispy, glazed edges and topped with freshly chopped chives.
While the cooked salmon is resting, add the cleaned asparagus to the grill, then let cook until tender. Thin asparagus will take no more than a minute. Remove from heat into a mixing bowl, then add salted butter and pepper and toss with tongs to coat.
Orange barbecue glaze
Makes 2 quarts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 white onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 oranges, peeled and diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups orange juice
½ cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Cook the vegetables and oranges in olive oil in a saucepot. Once tender, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until well cooked, about 15 to 18 minutes. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Cool and reserve for later use.
