Chef critique
Grilled Sockeye with Cherry-Dill Relish
A highly successful, seasonally appropriate recipe with an excellent flavor profile. The ingredient math is flawless and the instructions are logical. Minor adjustments to the grilling instructions for lean sockeye will elevate this from good to perfect.
Score: 9/10
Suggested fixes
- Reduce the suggested grill time for the sockeye salmon to 2-4 minutes per side, and advise the cook to check the temperature early to avoid drying out the lean fish.
- Move the instruction to oil the grill grates to Step 5, right before placing the zucchini and salmon on the fire.
Issues
- medium / timing: Sockeye salmon is leaner and generally thinner than Atlantic salmon. Grilling it for 3 to 5 minutes per side at 425°F is likely to overcook it and push it past the 145°F mark very quickly.
- low / clarity: The instructions say to lightly oil the grates during the initial preheat in Step 1. Oiling the grates this early will cause the oil to smoke and burn off while the cook is prepping the vegetables and relish.
Strengths
- Perfectly executed math on the divided ingredients (olive oil and salt usage exactly matches the ingredient list).
- Excellent flavor profile and balanced use of acid (lemon/mustard) to cut through the salmon.
- Logical workflow with all chopping and prep completed before moving to the hot grill.
- Appropriate and appealing pairing suggestion.