BBQ Salmon w/ Caramelized Onions + Cucumber Salad

BBQ Salmon w/ Caramelized Onions + Cucumber Salad

What You’ll Need for the Salmon:

• olive oil
• butter (optional)
• 1 large sweet white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lb wild caught salmon fillet (skin on one side)
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Jane’s Krazy Mixed-up Salt (found at most grocery stores)
• Pepper
• a little more salt to taste, if needed

What To Do:

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat; use half oil & half butter if desired.  Add onions evenly in the pan and sauté, turning occasionally until richly brown.  The trick is allowing the onions enough time to brown, and then turn them before they burn.  After first 10-15 min, turn down heat to medium-low and continue to cook another 15-20 min.
• While onions are cooking, rinse fish and pat dry with paper towel.  Rub skin side of salmon with 1 tsp olive oil.  Rub fillet side of salmon with 1 tsp olive oil and chopped garlic, and sprinkle with lemon juice, Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt (at any regular grocery store) & pepper.
• Over medium-high flame on the BBQ, place salmon skin side down and sear for 1-2 min.
• Remove fish from BBQ and place on aluminum foil with fillet side up.  Distribute onion mixture evenly over the fish and cover tightly with foil.  Place foil-wrapped fish back on BBQ for 6-8 min or until the salmon just starts releasing its fat (opaque mayonnaise-like stuff).  Do not overcook… you want the fish to flake off in large chunks.

What You’ll Need for the Cucumber Salad:

• English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced, preferably with a mandolin
• 1 large sweet white onion, thinly sliced, preferably with a mandolin
• generous sprinkling of sea salt
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• drizzle of olive oil
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

What To Do:

• Place sliced cucumber and onion in large bowl and salt generously.
• Allow cucumber and onion to sit for about 10-15 min, then drain off about 1/2 of the liquid released.
• Add vinegar, sugar, pepper and dill and stir to combine thoroughly.  Taste it and add a touch vinegar if it’s too sweet, sugar it’s too sour, and salt if you didn’t salt it enough.
• Serve in small bowls if you would like to enjoy the juices.  Serve with slotted spoon or tongs if placed on the plate with the salmon.

**  Salmon and cucumber salad are served best with Middle Eastern Flatbread from Trader Joe’s (heated on the BBQ).  Other starch options: lemon rice or lemon red potatoes,