Cook this barbecued salmon dish and enjoy an alfresco feast with some sparkling wine.
Is there anything that beats cooking and eating outdoors when the sun is shining?
South African wine producer, Graham Beck, has partnered with food and travel blogger, Jeanne Horak-Duriff (@cooksister), to create dishes which pair excellently to Graham Beck’s award-winning Non-Vintage sparkling wines.
Jeanne’s recipe for the garden barbecue – or ‘braai’ in South Africa – is a crispy and succulent barbecued salmon with blood oranges, served with capers and dill – a definite Summer Sizzler.
As a South African herself, she knows all about a classic braai, as well as the fundamental differences between a barbecue and braai that only grill professionals might know.
The braai fire, for example, remains lit throughout the event – even after the food is cooked.
Try recreating her dish below for a delicious alfresco dinner.
Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, capers and dill
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 blood oranges sliced into rounds, peel on
- Olive oil
- 4 salmon fillets (240-250g each) or 1 side of salmon – skin on
- 80g butter
- 1 small bunch of fresh dill, 2 tablespoons finely chopped and the rest as whole fronds
- 4 tsp capers, drained
- 2 tbsp grated blood orange zest
- Salt and pepper, to season
Method
- Optional: Heat a ridged frying pan over high heat and brush the orange slices with olive oil. Fry the orange slices in batches, turning once, until there are char lines visible on both sides. Set aside.
- Prepare a fire in your kettle barbecue – you will need 15 to 20 charcoal briquettes. When they are mostly grey and ashed over, spread them evenly under the centre of the grill and close the barbecue lid, leaving the top and bottom vents open. Give the barbecue about 10 minutes to get to 150-180°C.
- While the barbecue is heating up, lightly oil a large foil roasting dish, big enough to accommodate the fish in a single layer. Lay the fish skin side down in the oiled roasting dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter, capers, chopped dill and zest together until the butter is just melted. Mix well and add a good grind of black pepper.
- Tuck the orange slices and half the remaining whole dill fronds around and under the fish (reserve the rest of the dill for garnish). Baste the fish liberally with the seasoned butter and place the roasting dish uncovered on the barbecue grill directly above the charcoal.
- Close the lid and leave to cook for 15 minutes. Try not to open the lid during cooking as this will cause the temperature to drop.
- After 15 minutes, check the thickest part of the fish to see if it is done (it should flake easily with a fork).
- Once the salmon is done, carefully lift it off the skin using an egg lifter or fish server and serve decorated with the orange slices and the remaining dill fronds.