Okay, let’s discuss cedar planks and cooking
Is it a gimmick? Nope.
Does it add anything to the food that’s cooked on it??? Yep.
The cedar, when handled well imparts a subtle smoky and woody flavor which can really add to certain dishes
The key is to soak the plank in water from a minimum of 1 hour or up to 2 hours
The more it soaks, the less it burns up and the more flavor you gain from it. In fact the more it soaks the longer it lasts, so you can actually use it again
I read some cool tips for the planks as well. Did you know you can soak them in a half water and wine or beer for more flavor?
You can also soak it for a couple of hours and then freeze it so it’s ready to go when you need it (pretty cool, literally)
So place the plank in water and walk away
Let’s work on the salmon
We have roughly 2 pounds of filet
I’m going to trim the belly fat off of it (our pup will be very happy with the cooked scraps)
This happens to be skin on salmon, which in most cases is fine. For this particular application I want to remove the skin
Carefully cut between the skin and the flesh with a long sharp knife
Grab hold of the skin and as you slice forward with the knife (away from your body) pull the skin gently from side to side to release it
One…
Two…
Three!
Next cut the salmon into portions
We will need 1 lemon, 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of Red Hot and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
We are going to use the lemon in 3 ways
Zest the whole thing, then cut out 4 slices, then juice the rest
In a food processor add in the garlic, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and Red Hot
Pulse until well chopped
Lay the lemon slices out on the pre-soaked cedar plank
Lay the salmon over the lemon slices
Then evenly top each filet with the parsley garlic mixture
Next sprinkle each filet with kosher salt and ground black pepper
Then top each one with a sprinkle of lemon zest
Preheat your grill to 400 F direct heat, but with the middle burner on low
So a Medium, Low, Medium configuration
We still want some direct heat working on the cedar plank, but we don’t want to burn it up
Place the salmon in the center and cook for 15 -20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the thickest part goes in and comes out easily
Let the salmon rest a few minutes before serving
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon
Ingredients
1 cedar plank (soaked in water at least 1-2 hours)
2 pound salmon filet
1 lemon
1/4 cup of fresh parsley
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of Red Hot
1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
Soak a cedar plank in water for at least 1-2 hours
Trim the belly fat off the salmon and remove the skin. Next cut into portions
Zest 1 whole lemon, then cut 4 slices out of it, then juice whats left. In a food processor add in 1 garlic clove, 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of Red Hot. Pulse until well chopped
Lay the lemon slices out on the presoaked cedar plank. Lay your salmon over the lemon, and then evenly top each filet with the parsley garlic mixture. Next sprinkle each filet with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Then top each one with a sprinkle of lemon zest
Preheat your grill to 400 F direct heat, but with the middle burner on low. So a Medium, Low, Medium configuration. Place your salmon in the center and cook for 15 -20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the thickest part goes in and comes out easily. Let the salmon rest a few minutes before serving
KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender
TrueFire Gourmet Cedar Grilling Plank
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