Food Network
This easy grilled salmon recipe really is the best -- you get a perfectly cooked, moist and flaky fish with a delicious crispy skin. The flavor profile is salty from the capers, tangy from the lemon, herbaceous from the tarragon, a touch sweet from the brown sugar and packs a bit of spice from freshly ground black pepper. Not surprising, the first key to success is the type of fish you buy. Look for a center-cut piece of salmon that's about 1 1/2 pounds and at least 1 inch thick. The fish should have a subtle and fresh smell, like the sea. Make sure that the salmon skin has been descaled. If you are lucky enough to buy your seafood from a fish counter, you can ask for the scales to be removed. If not, you can remove them by rubbing the dull side of a chef’s knife back and forth over the top of the scales to dislodge them. (The scales will cause the fish to stick to the grill and are unpleasant to eat if you plan to munch on the skin) Last, make sure the skin is completely dry before cooking — leaving the fish uncovered in the refrigerator for an hour before you season it will do the trick.