Grilled Stuffed White Salmon
Two large fillets that enclose air-dried ham, cherry tomatoes, olives and basil, tied with kitchen string and cooked over the coals. A spectacular way to bring fish to the barbecue and surprise anyone who thinks a grill is only for meat.
The flour is not a mistake. The tied parcel is turned in flour before it goes on the grill: the thin layer stops the fish sticking to the bars and forms a crust.
And the most important thing: do not move it before the underside has browned. Try to turn it too early and the parcel falls apart.
In Argentina this is made with «salmón blanco». Any firm white fish sold in large fillets works here.
You will also need: kitchen string.
Ingredients
- 2 large fillets of firm white fish (about 35 cm each, no bones or scales)
- 6 slices of air-dried ham
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove, in fine slices
- 10 pitted black olives
- A handful of fresh basil (whole leaves)
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
- Zest of 2 lemons
- All-purpose flour (plain flour), for dusting
- Olive oil, salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- 1
Preparing the filling: in a hot pan, fry the cherry tomatoes for a couple of minutes until they soften. Add the sliced garlic and the parsley. Take off the heat and let it cool completely — a warm filling starts cooking the fish from the inside before it even reaches the grill.
- 2
Laying out the string: put 6 or 7 pieces of kitchen string, 25 cm each, on a board, parallel and 4-5 cm apart.
- 3
Building the parcel: season the fillets. Lay the first one on the strings, skin side down. Cover with a thread of olive oil, the lemon zest, the fried tomatoes, basil, more parsley, the olives and finally the slices of air-dried ham.
- 4
Closing it: season the second fillet and lay it on top of the filling. Tie each piece of string firmly to secure the parcel.
- 5
Dusting with flour: turn the assembled fish in flour, shaking off the excess. This creates a protective film that stops the flesh sticking and helps form a crisp crust.
- 6
Cooking: clean the hot grill and wipe it with oiled paper. Cook over medium heat, about 20 cm above the coals, for 25 minutes a side. It is essential not to move the fish until it is well browned, or it will break apart.