Grill Seared Salmon on a Salad Recipe

Steps

1. 1Prep. Chop the greens. Shred the cheese. Sprinkle the meat side of the fish with a moderate amount of salt, black pepper, paprika, and tarragon. The paprika is mostly for color.
2. 2Prepare the salad by filling two bowls with the Romaine. You can use other greens and veggies, but in Portland it was just plain Jane Romaine, and that's the way I like it too. Pour the dressing on the lettuce, scatter with the olives, (and chopped tomatoes if you wish), and top with the shredded parmesan.
3. 3Fire up. Heat the grill as hot as she'll go. Put a cast iron frying frying pan or griddle on the grill until it is as hot as Hades. Pour enough extra virgin olive oil to coat it well (these oils don't smoke as easily as most other oils). Spread it around with your spatula or a silicon basting brush.
4. 4Cook. Wait til the oil is hot, about 1 minute, just when it starts to shimmer. Place the fillets on the griddle with the most curved side down, and that's usually the skinless side or the interior side. This is important because you want the meat in contact with the oil to make it crispy, and as it cooks it gets less flexible. Press gently so as much fish as possible is in contact with the hot oil. If you wish, toss some hard wood saw dust, chips, or dried herbs on the fire to create lots of aromatic smoke. You want a lot of billowing white smoke because this is a short cook. I often save a few dried oregano or basil plants from last season just for this purpose. And yes, you can use them on a gas grill. They will incinerate thoroughly leaving behind a small amount of harmless ash.
5. 5Cook 3 to 7 minutes per side until each is dark golden. A useful tool is a wide set of fish tongs or a wide spatula to help you get the tender fillet off the griddle without it falling apart. It should be not more that 130°F (54°C) in the thickest parts and be slightly translucent and flaky (in the video below I said 140°F (60°C)- that's too high).
6. 6If you see a milky fluid (protein) seeping from the fish, don't worry. It's just a protein called albumin and you can eat it, but it's kind of ugly (see below), so you can daub it off with a wet basting brush or paper towel if you like.
7. 7Take the fish off the griddle with fish tongs or a wide spatula if you have one, and sprinkle with some fresh dill or thyme.
8. 8Serve. Plate the salad then top with the seared salmon and serve.