Twin Eagles Partner Chef David Olson’s Butterflied and Grilled Great Lakes King Salmon

Twin Eagles partner and chef David Olson is serving up the catch of the summer with this monster Grilled Great Lakes King Salmon.

This freshly-harvested 22-pound wild salmon was butterflied with its pin bones removed, seasoned with minced chilies, smoked paprika, roasted garlic, wildflower honey, fresh citrus and red onion, then finished with a splash of robust olive oil, shredded white crab claw meat, a dusting of smoked fleur de sel, and an aromatic selection of seasonal herbs from Chef David’s backyard garden.

Positioned skin-side down directly atop the chef-grade, stainless steel grates of his 42” Twin Eagles Outdoor Gas Grill, this breathtaking beast covered the entire grilling surface! The grill’s burners were dialed within 10% of their lowest setting in each cooking zone, elevating the grilling chamber to a steady 225°F. Because our grill system was innovatively-designed to deliver both direct and radiant heat with precision and consistency from corner to corner, Chef David was able to ensure that from teeth to tail this fish was prepared to tender, flaky perfection!

After gently removing the whole fish from the grill and resting for 15 minutes, the thick fillets were sliced and served over a rustic bed of Mediterranean-style ancient grains and paired alongside a beautiful glass of northern Michigan cabernet sauvignon. Life just doesn’t get much better than grilling outdoors with family and friends in the summer. Check out the list of ingredients and full instructions below and get more details on David’s blog here.

Butterflied and Grilled Great Lakes King Salmon

Ingredients

1 King Salmon, cleaned, scaled and butterflied olive oil

4 tablespoons ancho chili powder

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons granulated roasted garlic powder

2-3 pinches cayenne pepper

Wildflower honey

1 large red onion, finely sliced

1 fresh fennel bulb, cored and finely sliced

2 Lemons and Oranges, finely sliced

8-12oz crab claw meat, shredded

Fresh chives and parsley, roughly chopped, to garnish

Kosher salt and ground black peppercorn, to taste

Instructions

Prepare salmon, by cleaning, scaling and butterflying the freshly-harvested fish. Pat dry the meat and skin with paper towel, then rub the meat olive oil, chili, paprika, garlic, cayenne, salt, freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of honey. Rest on the counter until near room temperature. 15 minutes prior to cooking, preheat the grill to low (225-250°F).

Place the salmon skin-side down directly atop the grill grates. Toss the slices of onion and fennel in olive oil and dress dress the fish, followed by lemon and orange, then top with shredded crab meat. Season additionally with salt and pepper. Close the grill lid, basting intermittently with olive oil, until the internal temperature in the fattest part of the fillet reaches 135°F, approximately 45 minutes.

Remove salmon from the grill grates and rest under a tin foil tent for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped herbs, season additionally to taste, then plate in 6-8oz portions atop a rustic bed of couscous and ancient grains. Pair with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon and serve.