Grilled Salmon and Summer Squash Packets

Ingredients:
2 lb wild Alaskan salmon, cut into two filets
2 small yellow squash, cut into thin 1/8-1/4-inch thick coins
1 very large shallot, sliced
1 lemon, sliced thinly
1/4 cup vermouth or white wine vinegar
3-4 dill flowers/handful fresh dill
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut 2 2-foot long sections of foil. In the center, place half of the shallot slices and a quarter of the squash in a single layer. Place 1 filet salmon, skin-side down, on the shallots and squash. Top with lemon slices, remaining squash, dill, salt and pepper. Drizzle with vermouth or vinegar. Close the packet. Repeat for remaining ingredients. Place both packets on a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare grill according to manufacurers instructions. Vent the top of the packets with a knife. Place directly on the grill. Grill until the fish is fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

My thoughts:

Alaskan salmon is in season right now and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The rest of the year, Alaskan wild salmon is quite dear but in August even we Marylanders can get it for under $6 and it tastes miles above the farmed salmon we are normally stuck with (or the endangered Atlantic salmon we don’t eat). As such, we ordered 2 lbs for only the two of us so we’d have plenty of leftovers to play with. You can grill it directly on the grill or on a cedar plank, as I did for this salmon with pickled fennel, but placing it in foil allows you to almost poach it while steaming the vegetables within (for an almost 1 packet meal) while still infusing it with smoke flavor. Win-win.

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