Spicy Seasonings

• If it's not hot, it's not Jamaican jerk seasoning. Combine fresh, finely chopped hot peppers, such as Scotch bonnet, jalapeno or serrano. Add in your choice of ginger, allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg along with garlic, scallions and onions. Mix with a few tablespoons of vinegar. You could use a vinegar variation, either apple cider, white or red wine. Make a paste of the mixture with a few tablespoons of cooking oil.

Fillet, Steak or the Whole Shebang

• Salmon is available as a fillet, steak or as a whole fish. Any cut works for jerked salmon. If you don't like eating salmon skin, remove it with a sharp knife before seasoning. It comes off easily after cooking but if done then some of that spicy jerk flavor is removed with the skin. Slash the fish, fillet or steak in several places on both sides. Don't cut all the way through it.

Jerk It On

• Wear latex gloves if you have sensitive skin. Pat the jerk paste onto the salmon, pushing it into the slashes. Place the fish onto a clean plate and cover with plastic wrap. Let the salmon absorb the flavors for a few hours, up to overnight. Bring it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking for steaks and fillets, and 45 minutes to an hour for a whole salmon. The fish should be room temperature before cooking.

Cook It Up

• Traditionally, jerked meat is smoked for several hours. That is possible with a whole salmon but doesn't work as well with salmon fillets and steaks, because they cook faster. Grill the salmon over a medium-low fire. Add a few chunks of wood to provide a smoky flavor. Cook the fish until it flakes easily and the flesh is translucent. The internal temperature should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Jerked salmon is also good when sauteed or roasted. Place in a 425 F oven. Roast for 10 minutes for every inch of thickness. For example, if the whole fish is 2 1/2 inches thick it would cook for 25 minutes.