If you've ever been to downtown Baltimore, you've probably seen the Inner Harbor. It used to be a run-down hell-hole back in the 1970's, but Mayor William Donald Schaeffer revitalized the place, with the help of the Rouse Company, the same folks who later did the South Street Seaport in New York City, and the Faneuil Hall in Boston.

Back in the old days, McCormick, the Spice Guys, had their processing plant at the Inner Harbor. So did Domino's Sugar. When you'd walk around the Inner Harbor, the air would be sweet with the scent of sugar and cinnamon. The big red Domino's Sugar sign still shines at the Inner Harbor. But McCormick's has moved out to the suburbs. They still make some darned good spices, though. And my favorite? Their Carribean Jerk Seasoning. It comes dry, in a small, plastic bottle. They have a recipe on the side, for a jerk marinade, but I had to make some adjustments. Their recipe calls for vinegar, olive oil, and soy sauce. Well, I tried balsamic vinegar. White vinegar. Neither worked very well. I tried it with soy sauce and without soy sauce. I tried it on Ahi tuna, and on salmon. What I'm trying to say here, is that...I tried a lot of different recipes. I even tried using my own blend of spices. And after lots of trial and error, I came up with this recipe. I knew it was a winner when I cooked it for Sax Man Kevin Levi, percussionist Howard Zizzi, and my good friend Carl Griffin, and they all raved. They went nuts!! So here it is, the long awaited...

Grilled Jerk Salmon

You will need:
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 bottle of McCormick's Jerk Seasoning
1 big ass piece of Salmon

Put the first 3 ingredients in a salad dressing cruet. Shake it up!

Let the mixture sit for a while, overnight if possible. It doesn't need to be refrigerated-the olive oil gets funky if you do.

Pour about 2/3rds of the jerk marinade over the salmon. Save the other 1/3 (don't refrigerate.) Cover the salmon with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (24 hours, if feasible.)

Heat your grill. I heat mine to the highest possible setting. I spray the grill with a non-stick grill spray, and I spray the flesh-side of the fish, as well. Watch out!! When you spray the grill, sometimes flames can shoot up. Be careful! When you're done spraying, put the fish on the grill, flesh-side down first.

Now, how long you grill depends on the thickness of the fish, and the heat of the grill. The salmon I used was about an inch and a half thick, and the grill was up almost all the way. I grilled the salmon, flesh-side down, for about 4 or 5 minutes. Before I flipped the fish, I sprayed the fish skin with some more non stick spray, and I turned it over. I grilled the salmon, skin-side down, for another 4 or 5 minutes. Don't be afraid to take the fish off the grill a little early. It's better to take it off early, check it, and put it back than to overcook it. Jerk salmon can turn into salmon jerky in a matter of minutes.

Right before the fish is ready to remove from the grill, take the leftover marinade and heat it in a small saucepan. When the fish is ready, remove it from the grill. Serve flesh-side up, and add some warmed marinade before dishing out, or plating up, as they say in the business.

Coconut rice and grilled asparagus go real well with this grilled jerk salmon. The asparagus? That's easy. Brush with olive oil, add salt and fresh cracked pepper, and grill for just a few minutes.

The coconut rice? I'll tell you all about that some other day!

Buon Appetito!