Grill Salmon Directly On Top Of Citrus For The Perfect Flavor

Sonny and Cher, Bonnie and Clyde, salmon and citrus. Some pairings are just meant to be. The dynamic of salmon with citrus fruits isn't limited to flavor, you can actually use it very functionally to avoid a well-known issue — fish sticking to the grill. Many barbecue masters will know the struggle of salmon filets sticking to the grates and falling apart when flipping them over, no matter how much oil you apply. One neat hack is to layer citrus slices on the grill and place the fish on top of those. The benefits are twofold: the fruit will impart its bright flavors into the salmon as it cooks, and the barrier between the grates and the fish mitigates the opportunity for sticking. Lemons, oranges, and even grapefruit can be used, just make sure to cut thick enough slices that won't disintegrate between the heat of the grill and the weight of the salmon. 

This technique works for both skin-on and off filets (though skin-on salmon tends to yield the best results), and it can even withstand a whole fish, making it an easy meal for the whole family, with minimal cleanup. Your citrus slices will get a nice char in the process, and these can be eaten alongside the fish or just squeezed out for the rest of those yummy juices.

Citrus works well with most fish, but salmon seems to be the best. These fruits have acidic yet sweet flavor profiles that can accentuate and tone down the flavors of other foods. This makes it a great pairing for fish, which many people will note as having a rather intense, sometimes overpowering, briny taste. The citric element doesn't always need to be front and center. In this recipe for salmon en papillote with persillade (it's a mouthful, but the good kind), lemon juice is an auxiliary ingredient, but without it, the whole dish would lack those zesty, bright notes.

Using the wrong flavor combinations is one of the most common mistakes people make when cooking salmon, but the perfect blend is more easily attainable than you might think. Both the juices and zests of lemons and oranges can be used to season your fish, and you can even get creative with pomelos and grapefruits (although we recommend skipping the zests on these; they're not as flavorful as the first two). You can cook your salmon directly with these fruits, or use them in a dressing or salsa to top it off.