Cedar spawns inspiration
Take your salmon to the woodshed and grill it.
If I have one go-to technique for grilling and smoking fish, it is to use a cedar plank. The plank supports the delicate fish as it cooks and doubles as a serving platter.
It is a combination of rustic and chic that looks good and tastes good — but ultimately is very practical. The beauty of this preparation is that you can make it on a grill, in a smoker or even in the oven (set inside a sheet pan).
The plank removes the obstacles that people face when grilling fish. It won’t stick to the cooking grate, it won’t fall apart and you don’t have to use that awkward fish basket.
The most common fish to cook on a plank is salmon, but this technique works for all filets of fish. I prefer to grill fish steaks and shellfish directly on the grill.
If you have never used a cedar plank, you can buy them at the grocery store or online. They are not expensive and although some people clean and reuse them, I like to clean them and save them for firewood or for adding to a charcoal fire. It’s pretty difficult to fully remove the cooking smells from the first cook and it’s not worth saving a few cents and compromising your fresh fish.
Once you have your plank and your fish, it is so simple to prepare that you hardly need a recipe. You brush the fish with olive oil and season it lightly with salt. Next you layer thin slices of lemon over the fish like shingles on a roof. I love cooking fish with a layer of lemon slices on the top because it protects the top of the fish and keeps it tender. It also gently scents the fish with lemon and you have your lemon slice hot and ready to squeeze over your portion of fish.
Recently, I made this salmon at my sister’s house using a new pellet grill/ smoker which lightly smoked the fish with oak wood pellets. The fish was so fresh and pristine that I didn’t want to glaze it or make a sauce that would cover up its natural flavors. Instead, I made a Crunchy Cucumber Salad with baby cucumbers, red onions, fresh dill, capers, sour cream and Greek yogurt. The creamy salad complimented the salmon perfectly and was both side dish and a crunchy refreshing sauce. It was the ultimate hot summer’s night meal.
Elizabeth Karmel is a barbecue and Southern foods expert. She is the chef and pitmaster at online retailer CarolinaCueToGo.com and the author of three books, including “Taming the Flame.”