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Bon Appétit

Grilled Salmon Collars

Four salmon collars on top of a grill grate over coals.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott

Don’t fuss with the salmon too much once it’s on the grill: Let the flesh naturally release from the grate before attempting to turn it. You can also use the tare marinade for any cut of salmon.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 fresh red chile (such as Fresno or Holland), coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 salmon collars (about 3 pounds total), scaled, fins removed
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil (for grill)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring ginger, chile, garlic, mirin, soy sauce, sake, sugar, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 15–20 minutes. Let cool. Strain tare through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring glass or small bowl; discard solids. Set aside 1/4 cup tare. Pour remaining tare into a large resealable plastic bag. Season salmon lightly with salt and place in bag. Seal bag and turn salmon to coat. Chill at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours (go the full time for the most flavor).

    Step 2

    Prepare a grill for medium heat. You want moderate heat for fatty fish like salmon so the fat can slowly render while the skin gets nice and crisp. Clean grate well with a wire brush. Just before you set salmon on the grill, fold up a paper towel and hold it with a pair of long tongs. Dip paper towel in oil and wipe down grate.

    Step 3

    Remove salmon from tare, letting excess drip back into bag; discard tare in bag. Grill salmon, skin side down, brushing occasionally with reserved 1/4 cup tare, until skin is lightly charred and crisp, 5–7 minutes. Turn salmon and grill until other side is lightly charred (don’t brush this side with tare), about 5 minutes. Transfer salmon collars to a platter.

TagsJapaneseEast AsianAsianSalmonFishSeafoodMainStarterDinnerDairy FreeNut FreeEasyGrillingBon Appétit

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