If the sun is beginning to peak over the gray winter clouds then it's time to dust off the grill and start cooking outside. Cedar planked salmon is an easy recipe, especially for beginners. This dish can be flavored a thousand ways; you can season the salmon with your favorite barbecue rub or with just salt and pepper. Serve this flavorful fish with your favorite barbecue side dishes.
1 pound wild salmon
1 cedar plank
Select a salmon filet that is fairly uniform in width and thickness from somewhere near the center of the fish. This will ensure uniform cooking and smoking to the filet.
Select a cedar shingle or a commercially available piece of cedar that is slightly larger than the salmon, say 1/4" all around and no more than 3/8" thick.
Soak that cedar under water for at least several hours until it is wet all the way through.
Sprinkle some of your chosen spices on the flesh side of the filet and rub in gently. Leave the skin on the other side.
Heat the BBQ to medium-low heat. I have a thermometer on my propane grill and I cook this between 220*F and 250*F.
Place the salmon on the plank, skin side down and place the plank over the flames in the BBQ.
Cook until the salmon has achieved that red smoky color on top and the large edge shows cooking all the way to the skin. About 15-20 minutes depending on temperature.
When the salmon is cooked, remove the plank from the BBQ; remove the salmon from the plank and either serve with the skin or remove the skin per your own preference.
NOTE:The moisture in the plank cooks the salmon from the bottom while the heat and smoke cook it from the top. So the skin remains soft like the bottom of the fish while the top gets a lovely smoked flavor and texture.
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