Cedar Plank Salmon

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I think the Godfather has made up for the time spent away from his grill last year, this summer. We grill year-round, and last year discovered we are “those people” who will be out in the snow, rain, cold, what have you, to grill or barbecue if the mood strikes. Seeing his passion for barbecue and trying new techniques are recipes has been something beautiful to watch because I think it’s important to foster a passion in life, separate from work. There’s got to be something above and beyond that’s all yours.

And when you find that thing, you should celebrate by making this for dinner. Because salmon is healthy, filled with omega-3s, and you serve the salmon right on the plank where you cook it so it’s automatically beautifully plated! We use these mini cedar grilling planks, and they made dinner feel so fancy. It was like an event on a Thursday for no reason. And I think we all need to celebrate more for no special reason.

Since salmon already has a lovely natural flavor, we wanted to play off the creaminess with something complimentary, and I think the honey and chili was perfect. The salmon had a tiny bit of kick to it, but it was very mild – mild enough that our toddler was just fine eating it.

The salmon cooks very quickly, but you need to be sure to plan ahead and soak the planks a few hours before you plan to cook. L has included instructions for making this both on charcoal and gas grills, and while he didn’t specifically say, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the gas grill instructions will work for an oven too. Enjoy!

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Cedar Plank Salmon

Yield: 2 large servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets (8 to 12 ounces each)
• 2 T honey
• 1 t avocado oil
• 1 t New Mexico chili powder
• 1/4 t cumin
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper

Equipment:

• 2 cedar planks
• Medium mixing bowl with water
• Basting brush

Instructions

1. IMPORTANT: Soak the cedar planks in the bowl with water for at least four hours. If you are using a gas grill, soak the cedar planks for up to 12 hours.
2. In a small mixing bowl mix the New Mexico chili powder, cumin, salt, and ground black pepper.
3. Prepare the grill by ensuring the charcoal is as far below the grates as possible. Initial grill temperature should be about 300 degrees.
4. Score the salmon skin diagonally, with each score about one inch apart. Brush the skin side of the salmon with the avocado oil.
5. Remove the cedar planks from the water and give a quick pat dry. Place the salmon on the planks with the skin side contacting the planks.
6. Brush the fillets with honey, and apply the mixed dry ingredients to the fillets.
7. Place the planks on the grill and cover. If you hear cracking, move the planks to a cooler part of the grill. Grilling takes approximately 15 minutes, but check for done-ness after 12 minutes. The fillets should have a uniform color and the meat should flake easily.
8. Remove the planks from the grill and serve the salmon with the planks as plates.

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