First off, that skin acts like a natural non-stick surface. Think of it as the salmon’s built-in Teflon coat. When you heat the skin directly on the grill, it gets crispy, releases easily, and protects the delicate flesh underneath from drying out.
Without it, you’re essentially begging for your salmon to fall apart into a sad, fishy crumble. And trust me, nobody wants to eat crumbled salmon off a paper plate while pretending they meant to do that.
Side note: stop being scared of the grill marks. Yes, they look fancy, but if you obsess over perfect diamond patterns, you’ll overcook the fish. Let. It. Be. The skin will give you that gorgeous golden-brown crunch that’s way more rewarding than any Instagram-worthy grid.
