Yakitori-Style Salmon With Scallions and Zucchini

Maybe I missed the obvious, but why are we heating a lightly greased cast-iron griddle pan in Step 3? Do we set this pan on the grill and cook in it, or are we cooking straight on the grill since it's skewers?

I make yakitori on my Weber a lot and I use a trick from Steven Raichlens Barbeque Bible. Use two flat bricks (like pavers) on the grill with a 4 or 5 inch space between them. Lay skewers on them and they'll get direct heat but won't touch the grate and sticking problems will be greatly reduced.

Does turbinado sugar really make a difference compared to regular granulated sugar? I use very little sugar, so I'd rather not keep several types in stock.

I made this for dinner tonight, and I think I'm usually a good cook, but this was shockingly good - I felt like I was eating a restaurant quality meal. I did use brown sugar, and I cooked under the broiler (~12 min for the veg, ~8 for the salmon) because I didn't feel like getting the grill going and I don't have a grill pan or cast iron skillet. Made everything else as directed. The sauce in particular is amazing. Served with rice. Will definitely make again.

OR. The word all the pan-wonderers here missed is OR. Heat your grill or a cast iron pan. Carry on.

Thanks for asking the question about turbinado sugar. I just looked it up and found the following, making me think we could substitute brown sugar. "Turbinado sugar is partially refined sugar that retains some of the original molasses, giving it a subtle caramel flavor. It's made from sugarcane — a non-genetically modified crop, some of which is organically grown."

When grilling with skewers, I use two rather than one to secure the fish and vegetables so they can be turned easily and nothing falls off the grill. Loved this recipe. Mouth-watering!

We made this a few days ago - this is delicious. We BBQ'd the salmon and veggies. The next time we make this, we will change: -With 2 tbsp Cornstarch, the sauce was quite thick (hard to baste with). Will cut down to 1.5 tbsp -We used Coho salmon, and BBQ time was 8 mins. -The green onions on the edges of the skewers charred quite a bit (if you don't want this much charring, sandwich them in between the zucchini).

Turbinado sugar has flavor (or more flavor). You could sub in light brown sugar or add a touch of molasses to your white sugar to achieve a similar flavor.

I was disappointed with the sauce. It was too thick to baste well or use as a condiment. Next time, I will halve the cornstarch and use mirin, sherry, or stock instead of the water to get a richer flavor and a better consistency.

I am going to try this with maple syrup instead of turbinado sugar. My mom used to do this when making Teriyaki sauce and it melded nicely. May grill some onion too as many alliums are delicious when grilled. I'm looking at you, red onion partly cut in my fridge!

what is the purpose of the cast iron griddle if you are putting everything on the grill? what am i missing here?

Try using two flat pavers on the grill with a space between them - about 4 or 5 inches. Lay skewers on pavers with the meat over the gap between them and exposed to direct heat. They'll cook nicely, the skewers won't turn to ash and the meat won't stick to the grate. I learned this from Steven Raichlens BBQ Bible.

The sauce was great. Partway through I started to second-guess skewering the salmon -- mine was thick cut and skin-on and it seemed like it was going to be a disaster. I skewered just the zucchini and green onions and cooked the salmon as fillets, basting everything with the sauce and putting it all under the broiler. Presentation was pretty. Family really liked it but it was a lot of work for what it was. In the future I might make the sauce and broil the zucchini without skewers.

Interleave the salmon and veg. The onion flavors the salmon. They all cook in about the same time.