How to barbecue salmon with Ross Dobson

Does the prospect of cooking fish on the barbecue terrify you somewhat? Unlike snags - which even when left forgotten on the grill are usually salvageable, it seems there are so many things that can go wrong with fish. A well-cooked piece of fish is a delight, but seafood can be rubbery when overcooked or slimy when undercooked. The skin can fail to crisp-up and, without the right seasoning, the flavour can be insipid.

But restaurateur and cookbook author Ross Dobson says such fears are unjustified. Dobson has many barbecue-themed cookbooks to his name but with his latest release, King of the Grill, he has covered all bases and devotes a whole chapter to "fruits of the sea".

Dobson, who recently opened a new restaurant - Vincent Diner - in the Blue Mountains, took some time out to share his tips for cooking fish on the barbie.

1. Fresh is best: Don't be tempted to grab cheaper frozen fish. Dobson says fish that has been frozen is much more likely to stick to the hotplate and fall apart.

2. Skin on: Buy the best cut you can and make sure the skin is left on. Says Dobson: "It's really hard to burn fish with the skin on".

3. Go-to fish: Trout or salmon. Both species are firm-fleshed and lend themselves to various cooking methods including the hotplate. A 180-gram portion per person is ideal and salmon barbecues best when it is about 2-3cm thick. Dobson says wild salmon is more flavoursome than farmed.

4. Keep it simple: Dobson advises a novice cook to try this method the first time. Salt the salmon or trout skin, then place the fish skin-side down on the barbecue for five minutes. Do not flip and cook the other side. Dobson says people often make the mistake of turning fish on the barbecue, which can mean the flesh is not cooked evenly. "As soon as you turn the fish the heat is gone."

5. Use paper: If you are concerned about the fish sticking, you can place a piece of baking paper beneath the fish, or wrap in a parcel as in the recipe below.

6. Whole fish: If you want to tackle a whole fish on the barbecue, Dobson advises starting with a small snapper (about 800 grams for two people). Score the whole fish then season with lemon juice, salt and perhaps a good woody herb like thyme. Place a sheet of baking paper on the hotplate and cook until done.

7. The clean-up: When you're done cooking, turn the barbecue to high heat to kill any bugs and then scrape down the hotplate as normal.

Ross Dobson's newspaper-wrapped salmon with fresh herbs, lemon and chilli

Wetting the newspaper prevents it from burning on the hotplate (although it will a little anyway, which is fine) and creates a steamy environment for the fish to cook in. This makes cooking for a crowd too easy. Only limited by the size of your hotplate, you could easily cook six or eight of these and feed an army with little effort.

2 x salmon fillets, mid cut, about 400g each

1 bunch spring onions

1 large handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1 large handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped

1 handful mint leaves, roughly chopped

1 large red chilli, finely sliced (seeded if it's a hot one)

1 lemon, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Preheat the barbecue hotplate to high.

Lay out two large sheets of newspaper on top of each other and liberally brush the newspaper all over with water
to dampen. Tear off a piece of baking paper, slightly larger than a fish fillet and sit it in the middle of the newspaper. Repeat for the other fillet.

Finely slice 3 spring onions and put in a bowl with the other herbs and the chilli. Cut the remaining spring onions in half, lengthways, and lay these on top of the baking paper. Now lay the lemon slices on the spring onions. Sit the fish on the lemons and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Scatter the herb mix evenly all over the top of the fillets. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and pour over the fish.

Fold up the newspaper to form a parcel by bringing the two long sides together, and folding down. Tuck the two shorter ends in underneath and sit the parcel with the tucked sides on the hotplate.

Cover with the lid and cook for 20 minutes. Remove and then allow to rest for 5 minutes before carefully moving the fish to a plate.

Drizzle over the cooking juices and serve.

Serves 4

This recipe is an extract from King of the Grill, by Ross Dobson, Murdoch Books, $39.99