Grilled Salmon with Courgette and Lemon Dill
Salmon fillets grilled over direct heat until just opaque, served on charred courgette ribbons with a bright lemon and dill dressing. A light, high-protein dinner with no stovetop needed.
- Total
- 27 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 12
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Grilling · Emulsifying
- Savory
- Barbecue
Instructions
-
Light the barbecue and let it come to a medium-hot, ash-covered heat, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the courgette ends and slice lengthwise into 5 mm ribbons. Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then halve it and squeeze in 2 tbsp juice. Add the olive oil, 1 tbsp chopped dill, 1/4 tsp salt and the black pepper, and whisk into a dressing.
~10 min
Zesting before juicing lets you capture the lemon's aromatic oils, which carry most of its bright flavour.
Emulsifying Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil vigorously until the dressing looks slightly thickened and uniform; if it separates, whisk again just before serving.
-
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towel. Brush both sides with 1 tbsp of the lemon dressing and season with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt.
~3 min
Drying the salmon surface promotes better browning and prevents the skin from steaming and sticking.
-
Lay the courgette ribbons on the barbecue in a single layer and grill for 2 minutes per side, until softened and lightly charred at the edges. Move them to a plate.
~4 min
A single layer and one turn per side lets the courgette char rather than steam, concentrating its flavour.
Grill the courgette ribbons on a well-oiled, hot section of the grate and turn them only once, so they char rather than steam.
Grilling Grill over medium-hot, ash-covered coals and turn only once; a common mistake is moving food too often, which prevents charring and causes sticking.
-
Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on the barbecue and grill undisturbed for 4 minutes, until the skin releases easily. Flip with tongs and grill 3 to 4 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque and flakes and the centre reaches 63°C/145°F.
~8 min
Cooking skin-side down first renders the skin crisp and helps it release cleanly from the grate.
Salmon continues cooking off the heat, so pull it when the centre is just opaque; it will carry over to a perfect flake.
Grilling Grill over medium-hot, ash-covered coals and turn only once; a common mistake is moving food too often, which prevents charring and causes sticking.
-
Divide the grilled courgette between two plates and set a salmon fillet on top. Spoon the remaining lemon dressing over the fish and scatter with the last 1 tbsp dill. Serve straight away.
~2 min