Grilled salmon with tarragon aioli

8 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Homemade mayonnaise (or a good quality commercial brand)
½ cup Fresh Tarragon leaves, finely chopped or 1 tb. dried
2 tablespoons Capers, chopped
3 tablespoons Green onion tops, finely minced
4 Cloves garlic pureed to a paste in a mortar
2 larges Egg yolks
1 cup Neutral flavored oil (canola peanut or vegetable)
2 tablespoons Fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Salt (omit if using prepared mayonnaise)
Vegetable oil
6 Salmon fillets or steaks (about 1/2 lb. each) cut 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons E.V. olive oil
1½ tablespoon Warm water
1 teaspoon White wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

TARRAGON AIOLI

Method;

1. Tear the tarragon leaves by hand to help release the essential oils. Next, finely mince the tarragon with a sharp knife or a mini-chopper. If using a chopper, add the capers and chop with the tarragon.

2. Chop the green onion tops by hand, and add to the tarragon-caper mixture. chop into the mixture and set aside. Make the aioli (recipe follows), if not using prepared mayonnaise.

3. In a medium to large bowl, combine the mayonnaise/aioli with the tarragong/capers/onion tops. Add the lime juice, and blend well. If using homemade mayonnaise, add salt to taste. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. (The further this is made ahead, the better the flavor will be.)

4. Set grill up, using enough charcoal to make a bed 1½ to 2" thick when spread out. The fire should be fairly hot, yet on the verge of beginning to slow down when the salmon steaks are cooked.

Adjust the cooking rack over the spread coals and lightly oil.

5. Brush the salmon steaks with a thin coating of the mayonnaise mixture and place on the lightly oiled grill (skin side down for fillets.) Coat the top with the aioli. Place the cover over the grill and open the top and bottom vents. Cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the salmon over (removing the skin and darker flesh if using fillets.) Reapply mayonnaise. Continue cooking, uncovered for another 4 to 5 minutes. Salmon is done when the tip of a knife can be inserted in the thickest part of the fish with little resistance. The fish should be somewhat opaque with a bit of deeper pink remaining in the center.

6. Arrange on a serving platter, garnished with lime wedges and tarragon stems. Pass the remaining aioli in a seperate bowl.

AIOLI:

1. Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a large knife, removing any green germ that you may find in the center of the cloves. Place the garlic in the bowl of a mortar (or a mini-processor). Grind to a paste with the pestle (or blade), adding some salt to aid in breaking down the garlic (if desired.) 2. Place the egg yolks in a quart-sized bowl. Wrap a damp towel around the base of the bowl to steady it, or place a damp towel beneath the bowl to act as an anchor. Whisk the egg yolks together till well blended. Begin adding droplets of the neutral-flavored oil very slowly, while continually whisking. When the mixture starts to thicken, increase the oil flow to a thin, steady stream until all of it (including the olive oil) has been incorporated. At this point, the mixture should be farily stiff.

3. Whisk in the garlic puree. Add the water to the mortar (or mini-processor) scraping any remaining bits of garlic from the sides.

Whisk the water into the aioli in a steady stream. Whisk in the vinegar, salt* and pepper. Taste for seasonings and serve. Aioli should be used within 24 hours of having been made, or the flavor of the garlic will turn stale.

*If you have used salt in pureeing the garlic, you may not need any more.

These recipes are from a BBQ/Grilling class offered at Cook's of Crocus Hill in St. Paul, MN in June of 95.

MM format courtesy of Mary Riemerman Submitted By RICH HARPER On 12-25-95

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