Method: Indirect grilling
Serves: 4 to 6

2 salmon fillets (about 2 pounds total), preferably
Alaskan Sockeye
2 tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Miso Glaze (recipe follows)
Fresh shiso leaves (also called perilla or beefsteak plant) for garnish (optional)

You’ll also need:
2 cedar grilling planks, soaked for 2 hours in water to cover, then drained, or
6 individual cedar grilling planks (see Note)

Rinse the salmon fillets under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Brush olive oil on one side of each steak. Season with salt and pepper. Place one salmon fillet oiled-side down, on each cedar plank.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high.

When ready to cook, spread the glaze mixture evenly over the top and sides of the salmon. Place the salmon fillets on their planks in the center of the hot grate, away from direct heat, and cover the grill. Cook the salmon until cooked through and the glaze is golden, 20 to 30 minutes. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the side of a salmon: The internal temperature should be about 135 degrees F. Another test is to insert a slender metal skewer in the side of the fillet for 20 seconds: It should come out very hot to the touch. Transfer the planks and the salmon to heatproof plates. Garnish each with a shiso leaf, if desired.

FENNEL AND ORANGE SLAW

Source: Raichlen on Ribs by Steven Raichlen (Workman, 2006)
Serves: 6 as a side dish

1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
2 to 3 fennel bulbs (about 1 pound), trimmed (see Note below)
1 large orange
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper


Place the garlic and salt in a large nonreactive mixing bowl and mash with the back of a wooden spoon. Trim the long stalks off the fennel. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise, then slice lengthwise into very thin slices on a mandoline or in a food processor fitted with a slicing disk. Add to the bowl with the garlic.

Over a bowl, peel the orange, and with a paring knife, trim the white pithy membrane off the fruit. Cut between the membranes separating the segments. Add the orange slices and any juice (no seeds) to the fennel. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding pepper to taste and more salt and/or lime juice; the slaw should be highly seasoned. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with chopped fennel fronds, if desired.

Note: If the fennel bulbs come with stalks and fronds, chop about 1 tablespoon of the feathery fronds for garnish.

GRILLED PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED TROUT

Source: Adapted from How to Grill by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing, 2001)
Method: Direct grilling
Yield: Serves 4

4 whole trout (each 12 to 16 ounces)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh dill, left in sprigs
2 lemons, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise (remove seeds)
8 thin slices prosciutto
Olive oil or vegetable oil
Mustard-Dill Sauce for serving (recipe below)

You’ll also need:
8 pieces cotton butcher’s string, each about 12 to 14 inches long

Rinse the trout, inside and out, under cold running water, then blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. For each trout, place two pieces of butcher’s string about 3 inches apart on a work surface and lay down a piece of prosciutto. Stuff the trout with dill sprigs and lemon slices and season with salt and pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto on top of the trout, bring up the ends of the strings, and tie the trout crosswise in two places to secure the prosciutto and keep the stuffing inside. Brush oil on the outsides of the trout.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high (about 350 degrees).

When ready to cook, place the trout directly on the grill grate. Grill the trout until nicely browned on the outside and cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes per side. To test for doneness, insert a slender metal skewer into a trout for 20 seconds: It should come out very hot to the touch. Serve with Mustard-Dill Sauce.

Mustard-Dill Sauce

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

3/4 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann’s preferred)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Dijon-style or honey-style mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill from sprigs reserved above
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea) or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed. Serve in a bowl or individual ramekins. Optional: Garnish with dill sprigs.

TRINIDADIAN GRILLED SWORDFISH
WITH CARIBBEAN MANGO SALSA AND “BAKES”

Source: Adapted from Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen (Workman, 2008)
Method: Direct grilling
Serves: 4
Advance Preparation: 2 to 4 hours for marinating the fish; 1 to 2 hours for rising the bake dough

For the fish and marinade:

4 swordfish steaks (each 4 to 6 ounces, and about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 bunch chives or scallions, trimmed
2 shallots or 1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium rib celery, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 scotch bonnet chile, seeded and deveined, or for a mild preparation, 1/4
cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or more to taste
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the “bakes”:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/4 cups warm water
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

Caribbean Mango Salsa (see recipe below)
Matouk’s, Bushe Browne’s or other Caribbean hot sauce, for serving


Rinse the swordfish steaks under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Place in a nonreactive baking dish in a single layer and set aside while you prepare the marinade.

Combine the chives, shallots, garlic, celery, cilantro, parsley, mint, thyme, chile, water, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a blender or food processor and puree. Taste for seasoning, adding lime juice or salt as necessary; the mixture should be highly seasoned. Pour over the steaks in the baking dish, turning to coat. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 2 to 4 hours.

At least 2 hours ahead of grilling, prepare the dough for the bakes. Combine the yeast, sugar, and 1/2 cup of warm water in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the yeast and sugar are dissolved. Let the mixture stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in the remaining water. Sift in the 2-1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, and salt. Stir the mixture with the wooden spoon to form a stiff but moist dough, adding flour as necessary. (See Note below.) The dough will be moister than conventional bread dough, but not so wet that you can’t roll it out. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and elastic, 5 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place it in a warm, draft-free spot, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Punch the dough down by stirring with a wooden spoon. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Dust the balls with flour. Working on a liberally floured work surface with a floured rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.

When ready to grill the bakes, oil the grill grate. Lightly brush the bakes with oil and arrange them on the hot grill grate. Grill them until blistered and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side, turning them with a long spatula. Keep the bakes warm in a bread basket lined with a towel.

When ready to cook the steaks, remove from the marinade and blot dry with paper towels. Brush lightly on both sides with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and arrange on the hot grate. Grill until cooked through in the center when pierced with a knife, 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning over carefully with a long spatula. For an attractive crosshatch of grill marks, rotate the steaks 90 degrees after 2 minutes on each side.

Using the spatula, carefully transfer the steaks to serving plates or a platter. To eat, fold a piece of swordfish in a bake, pouring on mango salsa and hot sauce to taste.

Note: The dough can also be made in a mixer with a dough hook attachment or in a food processor.