Wheatless Wednesday: Grilled Salmon Fillets

This recipe from America's Test Kitchen is, as always, precise, but it's also pretty simple. If you're not a fan of salmon, sub in red snapper, grouper, halibut, or sea bass -- cook white fish to 140 degrees, up to 2 minutes longer per side.

Grilled Salmon Fillets
Serves 4
4 skin-on salmon fillets, 3/4 to 1 inch thick (6 to 8 ounces each)
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Lemon wedges

Place fillets skin-side up on rimmed baking sheet or large plate lined with clean kitchen towel. Place second clean kitchen towel on top of fillets and press down to blot liquid. Refrigerate fish, wrapped in towels, while preparing grill, at least 20 minutes.

Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until very hot, about 15 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe grate. Continue to wipe grate with oiled paper towels, re-dipping towels in oil between applications, until grate is black and glossy, 5 to 10 times.

Brush both sides of fish with thin coat of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place fish skin-side down on grill diagonal to grate, reduce heat to medium, cover grill, and cook without moving until skin side is brown, well marked, and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. (Try lifting fish gently with spatula after 3 minutes; if it doesn't cleanly lift off grill, continue to cook, checking at 30-second intervals until it releases.) Using 2 spatulas, flip fish to second side and cook, covered, until centers of fillets are opaque and register 125 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 6 minutes longer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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