Cedar planked salmon an easier way

[Okanagan]

First, a basic cedar planked salmon method, then an easier way.


Ingredients:  First you need a salmon





Cedar plank

I split off a thin slab of cedar with a machete and a mallet.  The old hunting knife is for size perspective.   





Flavour spices:   I like to sprinkle them on the salmon six hours or more before cooking, with a tight cover of Saran wrap right on the spiced meat, to keep the fish from drying out in the fridge.  The Liquid Smoke is beside the spray spritzer to apply it lightly and evenly.  And I sprinkle a tiny bit of raw sugar on the meat, not enough to clearly taste but it takes an edge off of the harsher flavours.



Prepping the fire by burning alder wood down to coals. (Tangent: Daughter in law loves flowers and constantly plants them in a sequence so some are always blooming on the patio.  This view is out our front door.  Son tripled the size of the patio two years ago and our extended family and friends gather there a LOT.)  Not sure why but I love to cook on the open fire, much more than my gas grill. 



Finished product:  I didn't have time to soak the plank more than an hour, and it caught fire right away.  I flicked a few drops of water on it with my fingers to keep the fire out and let it smoke.   



Easy variation on planked salmon below:  cedar slats on salmon grilled in a fish basket.  I can't believe I didn't get a pic of the other side of this slab of salmon,.  It has thin flat slats of cedar 1/8 to 1/16 of an inch thick laid in the grill basket with salmon laid on top of the wood.  The ends of a couple of the slats are showing. The salmon is only part way done in this pic.



 Surprisingly to me, we all liked this one better, with merely thin slats of cedar rather than the full plank method.  Plus, it is LOTS easier.

[pitw]

ou ain't gonna be allowed to hunt no more, they'll make you stay in camp and cook.

[Okanagan]

Staying in camp and cooking is about all I'm good for anymore, plus taking a nap.   

Here are pics of cedar slats and how I lay them in the fish grilling basket, though these need a smidge of trimming for length.  They impart cedar flavour like cooking on a plank.

[JohnP]

Okanagan said:  "Staying in camp and cooking is about all I'm good for anymore, plus taking a nap"

I can't even make it to camp anymore.  But I had fresh salmon last night.                                                                                               

[nastygunz]

Man, meat, fire, burp.

[Okanagan]

Okanagan said:  "Staying in camp and cooking is about all I'm good for anymore, plus taking a nap"

I can't even make it to camp anymore.  But I had fresh salmon last night.                                                                                               

We are a bad influence on each other what with sun tea and salmon.  Safer than wine and women! 

[JohnP]

                                                                                               
[/quote]
We are a bad influence on each other what with sun tea and salmon.  Safer than wine and women! 
[/quote]

You need not remind me.

[FinsnFur]

My gawd that looks so perfect