ArcaMax

With Labor Day coming, many dedicated outdoor cooks are looking for one last spectacular dish to prepare with their outdoor grill.

I have two pieces of advice for you. Think simple. Think flexible.

Too many cooks, both at home and in restaurant kitchens, make the mistake of believing that impressive food has to be complicated food. I can tell you from my many years of experience, however, that sometimes the most impressive food is the simplest. The key is to start with the best ingredients, whether it's a prime steak or an ocean-fresh fish fillet, an organically grown vegetable from the farmers' market (or your own garden) or a juicy summer fruit recently picked from the tree.

Simple cooking is also often the best way to highlight top-quality ingredients. Anyone who loves to grill already knows this, because what could be simpler than placing pieces of food over white-hot charcoals and letting them sear to a deep golden-brown color on the outside while they stay moist and flavorful within? What more do you need to complement such simple food than a good side dish and a simple sauce, also made with the best ingredients?

Which brings me to the matter of flexibility, and the recipe I'm happy to share with you today: Grilled Salmon with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Warm Fingerling Potato Salad.

This recipe is, of course, a perfect example of simplicity, starting with the fresh wild salmon, which is so much lighter, cleaner-tasting, and more delicate than the farm-raised salmon served so often today. Seasoned only with salt and pepper and a little olive oil, it's perfect for the grill, especially if you take care not to overcook it. (My tip: It's done to perfection when it still yields a bit to light fingertip pressure; if you let it cook until firm, it's overcooked.) The bed of warm potato salad the grilled fish rests upon can be made several hours ahead and reheated just before serving, another convenience. And the cool cucumber-yogurt sauce takes only minutes to prepare.

Then there's the recipe's flexibility. You can follow it precisely and serve it as described: warm potato salad, hot-off-the-grill salmon and cold sauce. But if you want to be more casual, cook the salmon in advance, either half an hour or so before, and serve it at room temperature, or make it a day ahead, and serve it cold from the refrigerator. Don't want salmon? Try any other fresh fish you prefer, or shrimp or scallops, or grilled chicken or lamb.

Any approach will yield impressive results. And your guests will applaud you, never knowing how simple it all really was.

GRILLED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE AND WARM FINGERLING POTATO SALAD

Serves 4

FINGERLING POTATO SALAD:

1 pound fingerling potatoes or other small boiling potatoes

Water

Salt

1 cup Champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup good-quality canned chicken broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE:

4 to 6 English cucumbers

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup crème fraîche

Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

GRILLED SALMON:

4 fresh wild salmon fillets, each about 6 ounces

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 dill sprigs, for garnish

Several hours before serving, make the potato salad. Rinse the potatoes, leaving their skins on. Put them in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover well and add a sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then adjust the heat to maintain a steady boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender enough to be pierced easily with a long metal skewer, about 15 minutes. Drain well, transfer to a large mixing bowl filled with ice and water, and leave until thoroughly cooled, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, stir together the vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Peel the potatoes, using your fingertips and, if necessary, a small, sharp knife to slip off their skins. Cut each potato crosswise into discs about 1/4 inch thick and add them to the vinegar mixture. Add the red onion, toss gently, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.

About 1 hour before serving, prepare the Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce. Cut each cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into strips 1/4 inch wide, then cut across to make dice the same size. In a mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, crème fraîche, lemon juice and zest, dill and red onion. Stir together, then fold in the cucumber and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

For the salmon, preheat an outdoor or indoor charcoal or gas grill. Brush the salmon fillets on both sides with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill to the desired degree of doneness, about 4 minutes per side per 1 inch of thickness for medium, 5 minutes per side for cooked through but still moist.

Meanwhile, put the potato salad in a sauté pan with the chicken broth and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper, if necessary.

To serve, spoon the potato salad onto 4 serving plates to form even beds. Place a salmon fillet on top of each. Spoon some of the cool cucumber sauce over each fillet and around the plate, transferring the rest to a serving bowl to pass at table. Garnish each serving with a dill sprig. Serve immediately.