Fourth of July Recipes

Independence Day is around the corner and now is the best time to fire up your grill to celebrate summer in Southeast the right way. As the summer harvests start rolling in for local fisherman, and gardens and berries are beginning to ripen, there will be an abundance of traditional Alaskan fare available to celebrate the holiday. Below are our favorite grilling tips and BBQ recipes.

Grilling Gear and Safety

According to your local Sea Mart, here are the grilling essentials a BBQ-master needs to be ready for an entire summer of delicious feasts:

• Insulated BBQ mitts to keep your hands protected from grill burns
• Two tongs, one to handle raw meat and the other to handle cooked
• Spatula to flip your favorite protein and vegetable once on the grill
• Grill brush to keep your cooking surface clean between dishes
• Basting brush to apply your favorite sauce and marinades

When grilling, be sure to follow a couple of key, safety, rules to prevent a trip to urgent care or the emergency room. Always make sure your grill is stable and keep your grill away from flammable structures. Don’t cook with any clothes that are loose or that dangle, especially keeping an eye on those apron strings. Finally, always have a tool to put out a fire nearby, such as a fire extinguisher or a bucket of sand. Remember, never use water to put out a grease fire!

Now that you have the tools and are safely prepared, below are couple of favorite, easy, BBQ recipes for any skill level with the grill:

BBQ Salmon

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 dash liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 pounds whole salmon fillet

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, honey, liquid smoke, and vinegar.
3. Brush one side of the salmon with sauce. Place the salmon on the grill, basted side down. After about 7 minutes, baste the top, and turn over. Cook for about 8 more minutes, then brush on more basting sauce, turn, and cook for 2 minutes.

Grilled Wild Alaskan Pollock

Cooking spray
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 ounces of your favorite BBQ sauce
4 wild-caught Alaskan pollock fish fillets 

1. Preheat grill to medium-high and oil the cooking grates.
2. Spray fillets with cooking spray and season with salt, pepper and cumin.
3. Grill Alaskan Pollock Fillets for 5 minutes. Turn and brush with BBQ sauce; cook 2 minutes. Turn and brush again, cook another minute.

Grilled Fresh Vegetable Mix

1 red onion, chopped into 1” pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1” pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1” pieces
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, and chopped into 1” pieces
1 cup of crimini mushrooms, quartered lengthwise
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce

1. Set an empty heatproof medium bowl aside with a grilling basket inside of it.
2. Place all the cut-up vegetables into a large zip-sealed bag and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper to taste.
4. Toss to coat the vegetables inside the bag and pour into the grilling basket sitting inside the medium bowl (this is to prevent drips while moving back and forth to grill).
5. Place just the grilling basket of seasoned vegetables on the grill over indirect heat, and using your basting brush, dip into the teriyaki sauce and drizzle over the vegetables and then toss with tongs.
6. Repeat every 2 minutes, until your desired crispiness is achieved. About 10 to 15 minutes

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!