Question for Gar (and really anyone)



J

Jmcquown

Guest
I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel free
to chime in!

I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar of
salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.

I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says about
the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for this?
They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a reason to
remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?

Jill
 
jmcquown wrote:

> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> free to chime in!
>
> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>
> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for
> this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a
> reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>

During the summer, I grill salmon on the BBQ at least once a week. I never remove the skin. AAMOF,
when I grill fillets I get the grill nice and hot and then just lay them down on the grill skin side
down and turn the heat down. I have never eaten the skin. It is pretty tough stuff.
 
"jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> free to chime in!
>
> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>
> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for
> this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a
> reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>
> Jill
>
>
>

My guess is that the oil/fat in or just under the skin might effect the cedar flavour transfer. But
it is just a guess.

--
And the beet goes on! (or under) -me just a while ago
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> free to chime in!
>
> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>
> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for
> this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a
> reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>
Jill,

We've been grilling salmon on planks for years. We've never skinned the fillets, and have good
results. Maybe this will stimulate us to do an experiment next time we grill salmon.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me
 
While I haven't cooked cedar planked salmon, I have grilled skin on fillets before with very good
results. I start skin side down first to warm up the oils and fats and then flip it and let it all
drip through the meat. With some good seasoning, it is out of this world good.

I suspect that skin side on the cedar plank blocks the flavor transfer.

Sid

"jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> free to chime in!
>
> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>
> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for
> this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a
> reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>
> Jill
 
IMHO whenever I have tried to grill skinless filet, everything falls apart, or it sticks to the
grill. You almost have to put the filet on a piece of foil, which somewhat defeats the purpose of
grilling. I always trim away the skin after grilling.

jmcquown wrote:
>
> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> free to chime in!
>
> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>
> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for
> this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a
> reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>
> Jill
 
On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 10:29:10 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
>free to chime in!
>
>I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar of
>salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>
>I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
>about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for
>this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a
>reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?

I've never done one planked, but from what I've read the skin is your personal preference. Allegedly
the fish will have a more oily fishy taste with the skin. To me that's not a bad thing. The plank is
also a tool to keep the salmon from falling apart when it got to flaking temperature. You can always
skin part of it and see what you prefer. I'm sure if you want the cedar aroma you should skin it. I
do mine on a garage sale oven broiler pan in the smoker. 250 degrees for about 90 minutes. I've been
lucky enough to have a good supply of cherry logs to use. Sorry I can't be more help.

Just say no to Kingsford and charcoal lighter.

Gar
 
jmcquown typed:
> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> free to chime in!

Good, because I'm not "Gar"

>
> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>
> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason for
> this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there a
> reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>
> Jill

IME, planked is the only way I'll do skinless. I think that you need to remove the skin to get
the full effect of the cedar plank. You do need to oil the salmon before planking, even though
salmon is oily.

IIRC, you do know what grilling is all about...lump charcoal and a covered grill (with no lighter-
fluid). You get the charcoal hot enough to just char the bottom of the plank while the lid hlds in
the heat and smoke. It's salmon. Don't mask the flavors with any strong rubs and/or sauces. I
usually just use a little salt and maybe a grind or two of pepper. Let the salmon and the cedar
flavor come through. Don't forget to soak the plank in water, preferably overnight before your cook.

If I'm not planking, I do prefer to leave the skin on. Good luck, although I doubt that you'll need
the luck. :cool:

BOB
 
Cindy Fuller wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, "jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
>> free to chime in!
>>
>> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
>> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>>
>> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
>> about the fish is to cut off skin.
(snipped self)
> Jill,
>
> We've been grilling salmon on planks for years. We've never skinned the fillets, and have good
> results. Maybe this will stimulate us to do an experiment next time we grill salmon.
>
> Cindy

Cindy, if you do so please post or email me the results! I'm curious to know if it really makes any
difference. I don't tend to eat the skin; it's tough but flakes off easily enough.

Jill
 
Gar wrote:
> On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 10:29:10 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
>> free to chime in!
>>
>> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
>> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>>
>> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
>> about the fish is to cut off skin.
(snip self)

> I've never done one planked, but from what I've read the skin is your personal preference.
> Allegedly the fish will have a more oily fishy taste with the skin. To me that's not a bad thing.
> The plank is also a tool to keep the salmon from falling apart when it got to flaking temperature.
> You can always skin part of it and see what you prefer. I'm sure if you want the cedar aroma you
> should skin it. I do mine on a garage sale oven broiler pan in the smoker. 250 degrees for about
> 90 minutes. I've been lucky enough to have a good supply of cherry logs to use. Sorry I can't be
> more help.
>
> Just say no to Kingsford and charcoal lighter.
>
> Gar

Thank you, it was helpful. It does make sense, reading all the replies along with yours and some
other recipes sent to me by Alan Boles; the skin tends to hold the fish together. That makes sense.
Since the 2 lbs. are separated into 3 large portions, I may just do a testing as Cindy and you each
suggested, one with skin and one without.

And oh, absolutely nothing but hardwood charcoal on my grill and none of that crappy lighter fluid
stuff, either.

Jill
 
Kent H. typed:
> IMHO whenever I have tried to grill skinless filet, everything falls apart, or it sticks to the
> grill. You almost have to put the filet on a piece of foil, which somewhat defeats the purpose of
> grilling. I always trim away the skin after grilling.
>
Ummm?

She' "planking" the salmon. (Did you even read the post?) You might try looking that up in google if
you can find it.

BOB

>
> jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
>> free to chime in!
>>
>> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
>> of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
>>
>> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
>> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason
>> for this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there
>> a reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>>
>> Jill
 
see below

Gar wrote:

> On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 10:29:10 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> >free to chime in!
> >
> >I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a jar
> >of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
> >
> >I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> >about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason
> >for this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is there
> >a reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
>
> I've never done one planked, but from what I've read the skin is your personal preference.
> Allegedly the fish will have a more oily fishy taste with the skin. To me that's not a bad thing.
> The plank is also a tool to keep the salmon from falling apart when it got to flaking temperature.
> You can always skin part of it and see what you prefer. I'm sure if you want the cedar aroma you
> should skin it. I do mine on a garage sale oven broiler pan in the smoker. 250 degrees for about
> 90 minutes. I've been lucky enough to have a good supply of cherry logs to use. Sorry I can't be
> more help.
>
> Just say no to Kingsford and charcoal lighter.
>
> Gar

Being somewhat of a Gourmet, it occured to me to skin Slmon long before I'd heard about its'
necessity. Upon actually "looking" at the skin structure, it became obvious. The skin is a
tightly packed amalgum of extremely fine scales that house lots of slime and other defense
mechanisms! The fish really does come out better without the "waste" products extant! LOL!
Several fish are in the same class. Close inspection will let you know. EG: Even Large trout
require close shaving of their exterior...the scales do come off easily and definitely have a
gummy consistency...taste again is paramount! I use a coarse scrub pad for the smaller fish! It
works well. LOL! B-0b1
--
"Beaten Paths are for Beaten People". -- Anon.
 
On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 12:34:15 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Thank you, it was helpful. It does make sense, reading all the replies along with yours and some
>other recipes sent to me by Alan Boles; the skin tends to hold the fish together. That makes sense.
>Since the 2 lbs. are separated into 3 large portions, I may just do a testing as Cindy and you each
>suggested, one with skin and one without.
>
>And oh, absolutely nothing but hardwood charcoal on my grill and none of that crappy lighter fluid
>stuff, either.
>
>Jill
>

You might try this with any leftovers. I made them last week substituting the bread crumbs with
panko. I'll be making them again soon.

SMOKED SALMON CROQUETTES

At the restaurant, these are called truffles and are served on mixed greens with a watercress
vinaigrette, but they are also excellent presented on their own as hors d'oeuvres.

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped 2 tablespoons
chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

3/2 cup all purpose flour 1 large egg, beaten to blend 2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs

Peanut oil (for deep-frying) Lemon wedges

Blend cream cheese and smoked salmon in processor until almost smooth, with small salmon bits
remaining. Mix in dill, white pepper and hot pepper sauce. Drop salmon mixture by generous
tablespoonfuls onto large baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Place flour in small bowl. Dip 1 mound of salmon mixture into flour, coating completely (shake off
excess). Using hands, roll mixture into ball. Dip ball into beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, coating
completely. Return to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining salmon mixture, flour, egg and
breadcrumbs. Cover and refrigerate croquettes until cold, about 20 minutes. Add enough peanut oil to
heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 3 inches. Heat to 350°F. Working in batches, fry croquettes
until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer croquettes to paper towels; drain. Serve
warm with lemon wedges.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Bon Appétit June 1998 RSVP; Indian Fields Tavern, Williamsburg VA

Epicurious Food © 2003 CondéNet Inc. All rights reserved.
 
I saw that. I thought "planking" had something to do with intercourse.

BOB wrote:
>
> Kent H. typed:
> > IMHO whenever I have tried to grill skinless filet, everything falls apart, or it sticks to the
> > grill. You almost have to put the filet on a piece of foil, which somewhat defeats the purpose
> > of grilling. I always trim away the skin after grilling.
> >
> Ummm?
>
> She' "planking" the salmon. (Did you even read the post?) You might try looking that up in google
> if you can find it.
>
> BOB
>
> >
> > jmcquown wrote:
> >>
> >> I direct this to Gar because I know he is particularly fond of grilling salmon. But anyone feel
> >> free to chime in!
> >>
> >> I have a couple of cedar planks, 2 lbs. of really excellent-looking red Alaskan salmon and a
> >> jar of salmon rub seasoning, from the aforementioned seafood place online.
> >>
> >> I started reading the instructions for grilling the planked salmon and the first thing it says
> >> about the fish is to cut off skin. (Not my skin, the skin on the salmon LOL) Is there a reason
> >> for this? They are fillets; thick, yes, in fact about 3 inches thick in some places. But is
> >> there a reason to remove the skin other than esoteric eye appeal?
> >>
> >> Jill
 
Gar wrote:

> On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 12:34:15 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Thank you, it was helpful. It does make sense, reading all the replies along with yours and some
> >other recipes sent to me by Alan Boles; the skin tends to hold the fish together. That makes
> >sense. Since the 2 lbs. are separated into 3 large portions, I may just do a testing as Cindy and
> >you each suggested, one with skin and one without.
> >
> >And oh, absolutely nothing but hardwood charcoal on my grill and none of that crappy lighter
> >fluid stuff, either.
> >
> >Jill Jill, I ALWAYS start my charcoal with relatively HARD woods, usually OAK.

It in tself is a wonderful base for Barbecue! I let it get down to hot coals first, then, if
necessary, I add a bit of MESQUITE. LOL! B-0b1

>
>
> You might try this with any leftovers. I made them last week substituting the bread crumbs with
> panko. I'll be making them again soon.
>
> SMOKED SALMON CROQUETTES
>
> At the restaurant, these are called truffles and are served on mixed greens with a watercress
> vinaigrette, but they are also excellent presented on their own as hors d'oeuvres.
>
> 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped 2
> tablespoons chopped fresh dill
> 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
> 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
>
> 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 large egg, beaten to blend 2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
>
> Peanut oil (for deep-frying) Lemon wedges
>
> Blend cream cheese and smoked salmon in processor until almost smooth, with small salmon bits
> remaining. Mix in dill, white pepper and hot pepper sauce. Drop salmon mixture by generous
> tablespoonfuls onto large baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
>
> Place flour in small bowl. Dip 1 mound of salmon mixture into flour, coating completely (shake off
> excess). Using hands, roll mixture into ball. Dip ball into beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, coating
> completely. Return to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining salmon mixture, flour, egg and
> breadcrumbs. Cover and refrigerate croquettes until cold, about 20 minutes. Add enough peanut oil
> to heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 3 inches. Heat to 350°F. Working in batches, fry
> croquettes until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer croquettes to paper towels;
> drain. Serve warm with lemon wedges.
>
> Makes about 2 dozen.
>
> Bon Appétit June 1998 RSVP; Indian Fields Tavern, Williamsburg VA
>
> Epicurious Food © 2003 CondéNet Inc. All rights reserved.

--
"Beaten Paths are for Beaten People". -- Anon.
 
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