Grilled Salmon Recipe
  a
with sour cream dill
sauce and asparagus

This recipe's elegance and simplicity bring out the pure flavors of each ingredient. Perfect for hot summer nights, it has a lightness and lemony tang that refreshes and doesn't weigh down the palate. So easy and quick to make, this dish is a weekday staple in our house, and also a go-to recipe for backyard BBQs - you can spend time with your guests and not babysitting the grill.

With its meaty flesh and rich oils, salmon pairs well with both full-bodied whites and lighter reds. For this dish, we have selected two Syrahs that are also quite versatile, and go great with pretty much anything off the grill. While some Syrahs lean towards fuller, more tannic styles that might overwhelm salmon, these offerings have a leaner body and bright character.

Wine Pairing

"Splurge"
2005 Luca Syrah, Mendoza, Argentina
A blend with 30% Malbec, deep red fruit flavors and pepperiness are matched by a sauve body. ($26)

"Steal"
2007 Chateau Pesquié, Côtes du Ventoux "Cuvée des Terrasses"
A smoky, gamy touch on the nose echoes the flavors from the grill. Full yet balanced. ($11)

Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Ingredients

2.5 lbs fresh wild salmon fillets or steaks
1 lb fresh asparagus
3 cups sour cream
1/2 cup fresh dill
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon

Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Cooking Instructions

1.) Prepare a charcoal or gas-fired grill. If using a charcoal grill, group hot coals on one side of the grill base.

2.) Chop dill. Remove woody end of asparagus by cutting off last inch of the stalk or snapping at the base.

3.) Season salmon generously on both sides with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place asparagus onto a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and juice from half the lemon, and turn with tongs to coat evenly.

4.) Place salmon directly over the hot coals or on lowest shelf of charcoal grill for 2 minutes to sear, then move to a higher shelf (gas grill) or across from the coals (charcoal grill). Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

5.) Add asparagus with salmon on the grill and cook covered for an additional 10 minutes.

6.) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add sour cream, dill, paprika and juice from 1/2 lemon and mix thoroughly.

7.) After salmon and asparagus have been removed from the grill and cooled slightly, pour sauce over salmon as well as over asparagus if desired, and garnish with fresh lemon and dill sprigs.


Next Recipe:  Swordfish Puttanesca