Grilled Salmon with Beurre Blanc

For the Beurre Blanc

1. In a large saucepan, add wine and minced shallot. Simmer over medium-high heat until the wine has reduced to about 2 Tbsp (roughly 10 min).
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add one cube of chilled butter. (Keep the remaining cubes in the fridge until you are ready to use them.) As the butter melts from the residual heat of the pan, whisk it into the shallot and wine mixture. Continue with 1-2 more cubes of butter, adding them one at a time and whisking each cube completely into the sauce before adding another cube. At this point, you should have a nice layer of smooth butter sauce in the pan. Return the pan to a VERY LOW heat and continue adding the butter cubes, one at a time, whisking to keep the sauce smooth, until all the cubes have been added (25-30 min).
3. At this point you have your sauce, aim to keep it 80-135F to keep a nice sauce consistency until you are ready to use it.

For the Salmon

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high (roughly 400F). (You should be able to hold your hand above the grilling grate for 4-6 seconds.)
2. Lightly oil the salmon and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place the salmon on the grill, skin-side down. Cover the grill and reduce the heat (by slightly closing the vents if using a charcoal grill) to around 350F.
4. Grill the salmon 8-10 minutes for every inch of thickness of the filet. The filet is done when the edges flake easily with a fork. (The fish is done when just the edges flake. Not when it flakes all the way to the center. The fish will continue to cook after it has been removed from the grill.)
5. Serve the salmon topped with beurre blanc. Add a Loire Valley Muscadet wine and a side salad for an elegant summer meal.