Recommendation:Cedar plank salmon

Curly Sue said:

This weekend I visited my sister & famiglia. We bought some wild
salmon. At the fish counter they sold cedar planks for cooking the
salmon, so we decided to give it a try.

We soaked a plank and put it on the grill (gas) over the fire, with
the salmon on top. Closed the lid. It made PLENTY of smoke but the
salmon took an awful long time to cook. I don't recall that the plank
directions said how long it would take. Since people were standing
around with their bibs under their chins, we eventually gave up and
finished up the salmon w/o the plank. It was delicious and the smoke
flavor was great.

Planking fish is an old style of cooking for hikers and canoe trippers.
You soak a split log or plank and nail the boned fish to the log and
stand it up next to the camp fire. Lately stores have been selling pieces
of plank, and at very high prices, for cooking in BBQs. The reason cedar
is used is because it can soak up enough water that you can cook the fish
without the log catching fire.

Curly Sue said:

This weekend I visited my sister & famiglia. We bought some wild
salmon. At the fish counter they sold cedar planks for cooking the
salmon, so we decided to give it a try.

We soaked a plank and put it on the grill (gas) over the fire, with
the salmon on top. Closed the lid. It made PLENTY of smoke but the
salmon took an awful long time to cook. I don't recall that the plank
directions said how long it would take. Since people were standing
around with their bibs under their chins, we eventually gave up and
finished up the salmon w/o the plank. It was delicious and the smoke
flavor was great.

It makes sense that it would take longer to cook because the plank was
between the fish and the fire. The salmon was pretty thick too. I
guess next time we'll leave more time for cooking it (and won't put
the grill in the garage!)

I just googled rfc re: cedar plank salmon and there is a lot of
experience out there.

Give it a try!

How long was too long before you gave up? Sorry, but knowing what
cedar closets smell like - I still can't get excited about cooking
salmon on a cedar plank.

In any case, I'm still curious... How hot was the grill? Since it
was gas, I need the scoop now that I have one. Also, I've noticed
that there are just a couple of types of wood which seem to be used
for this... why not oak or maple? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

Dave Smith said:

The reason cedar
is used is because it can soak up enough water that you can cook the fish
without the log catching fire.

AHA! You must be a camper AND a fisherman.

Thanks for the information.

🙂

Curly Sue said:

It makes sense that it would take longer to cook because the plank was
between the fish and the fire. The salmon was pretty thick too. I

The original concept of cooking a fish on a plank was to secure the
fish to a plank and set the plank upright, like against a rock, very
close to a blazing wood fire, the fish facing the fire. Radiant heat
from the fire cooked the fish. All this plank on a grill stuff is
recent yuppie trendiness. I imagine it will work, after a fashion,
if one is using a hooded grill and indirect heat. But, just putting a
fish on top of a wet plank over hot coals seems like a good start for
raw fish on a burning plank.

If I was to plank a salmon on a grill, I'd make sure I was using a
covered grill to hold in the heat, like an oven. I'd make sure the
coals were not directly under the plank, but off to the side. I'd soak
the plank for at least 24 hrs. Last, I'd filet the salmon.

nb

sf wrote on 20 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

why not oak or maple? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

Because for some strange reason the cedar makes it taste great!

--
It's not a question of where he grips it!
It's a simple question of weight ratios!

A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

"sf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
<snip>

Quoted message said:

In any case, I'm still curious... How hot was the grill? Since it
was gas, I need the scoop now that I have one. Also, I've noticed
that there are just a couple of types of wood which seem to be used
for this... why not oak or maple? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

Alder and cedar are traditional. You can also use maple, hickory, mesquite,
cherry, oak, peach, apple, and oak. Avoid resinous woods, such as pine.

Rick Rider said:

This isn't just a yuppie trend.

Buying a special cut cedar plank at Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma to
use in your gas Weber is a yuppie trend in my book. I doubt if 1% of
red state'rs even have a clue what a plancked salmon is.

Quoted message said:

It's the way the locals have cooked salmon for centuries....

No doubt, the locals having learned it from native peoples who
probably used everything (rock slab, split log, etc.) but a an actual
plank.

nb

Curly Sue said:

This weekend I visited my sister & famiglia. We bought some wild
salmon. At the fish counter they sold cedar planks for cooking the
salmon, so we decided to give it a try.

We soaked a plank and put it on the grill (gas) over the fire, with
the salmon on top. Closed the lid. It made PLENTY of smoke but the
salmon took an awful long time to cook. I don't recall that the plank
directions said how long it would take. Since people were standing
around with their bibs under their chins, we eventually gave up and
finished up the salmon w/o the plank. It was delicious and the smoke
flavor was great.

It makes sense that it would take longer to cook because the plank was
between the fish and the fire. The salmon was pretty thick too. I
guess next time we'll leave more time for cooking it (and won't put
the grill in the garage!)

I just googled rfc re: cedar plank salmon and there is a lot of
experience out there.

Give it a try!

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

It was delicious when I tried it. The salmon fillets were about 3 inches
thick. I did the soak the plank thing and then cooked the salmon on the
plank over indirect heat over lump coal. Lots of smoke and I wasn't trying
to rush the meal but I was a tad anxious to have it turn out fork tender.
It did and it was good. But I'm still of the opinion that salmon is
overrated due to huge popularity in restaurants. The tilapia I made last
weekend was probably better in terms of taste (IMHO). Next time maybe I'll
cedar plank some tilapia 🙂

Jill

sf said:

On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 23:45:42 GMT, Curly Sue wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It makes sense that it would take longer to cook because the plank was
between the fish and the fire. The salmon was pretty thick too. I
guess next time we'll leave more time for cooking it (and won't put
the grill in the garage!)

Quoted message said:

How long was too long before you gave up?

Probably 30 min.

Quoted message said:

Sorry, but knowing what
cedar closets smell like - I still can't get excited about cooking
salmon on a cedar plank.

It's not like that. I mean, it doesn't smell like a cedar chest or
closet.

Quoted message said:

In any case, I'm still curious... How hot was the grill? Since it
was gas, I need the scoop now that I have one.

I think it was medium. It had lava rocks in it but flames were coming
up between them on two sides. It wasn't mine and I didn't change any
of the settings. We had already grilled chicken, ribs, lots of
vegetables, and pineapple.

Quoted message said:

Also, I've noticed
that there are just a couple of types of wood which seem to be used
for this... why not oak or maple? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

The reason I used cedar is because that's what the fish department was
selling! I'd buy it again, but it's a 5 hr train ride to my sisters.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

notbob said:

Curly Sue said:

It makes sense that it would take longer to cook because the plank was
between the fish and the fire. The salmon was pretty thick too. I

The original concept of cooking a fish on a plank was to secure the
fish to a plank and set the plank upright, like against a rock, very
close to a blazing wood fire, the fish facing the fire. Radiant heat
from the fire cooked the fish. All this plank on a grill stuff is
recent yuppie trendiness. I imagine it will work, after a fashion,
if one is using a hooded grill and indirect heat. But, just putting a
fish on top of a wet plank over hot coals seems like a good start for
raw fish on a burning plank.

If I was to plank a salmon on a grill, I'd make sure I was using a
covered grill to hold in the heat, like an oven. I'd make sure the
coals were not directly under the plank, but off to the side. I'd soak
the plank for at least 24 hrs. Last, I'd filet the salmon.

nb

The grill was covered although we kept lifting the lid every 10 min to
check on it :> Next time, we'll be more patient. We soaked the plank
for an hour and it was a couple of thick filet chunks.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

notbob said:

Rick Rider said:

This isn't just a yuppie trend.

Buying a special cut cedar plank at Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma to
use in your gas Weber is a yuppie trend in my book.

Then I say "All Hail Yuppies! Ya done good."

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue said:

Then I say "All Hail Yuppies! Ya done good."

I can see why it would become popular, though. For what they're passing
off as salmon these days, it needs all the flavor help it can get. 😉

nb

notbob said:

Curly Sue said:

Then I say "All Hail Yuppies! Ya done good."

I can see why it would become popular, though. For what they're passing
off as salmon these days, it needs all the flavor help it can get. 😉

nb

Did a yuppie clobber you with a cedar plank or a salmon on the beach?
You seem inexplicably critical about this process, which apparently
you haven't even tried. What gives?

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue said:

You seem inexplicably critical about this process....

Only when done badly.

Quoted message said:

you haven't even tried. What gives?

I like cedar cigar boxes and clothes dressers, not fish. Don't take
it personally. 😉

nb

jmcquown said:

It was delicious when I tried it. The salmon fillets were about 3 inches
thick. I did the soak the plank thing and then cooked the salmon on the
plank over indirect heat over lump coal. Lots of smoke and I wasn't trying
to rush the meal but I was a tad anxious to have it turn out fork tender.
It did and it was good. But I'm still of the opinion that salmon is
overrated due to huge popularity in restaurants. The tilapia I made last
weekend was probably better in terms of taste (IMHO). Next time maybe I'll
cedar plank some tilapia 🙂

Like so many things, the quality of salmon varies greatly and much of
it IS overrated. When I lived outside of Alaska, I didn't like any of
the salmon I could get in the stores and stopped eating it almost
immediately, but once I moved back and started either fishing for it
myself or buying good (ie kings or silvers as opposed to the
pinks/chums which are more commonly available outside of salmon-fishing
areas) I quickly grew to love it again. I'll take a fresh salmon over
almost any other type of local fish (except halibut. I much prefer
halibut, but halibut fishing is deep-water fishing and a major outing
-- not one that I can run out in the evening or early morning and do.
Fortunately, there are always the fish markets!

Alexis.

Alexis said:

jmcquown said:

It was delicious when I tried it. The salmon fillets were about 3
inches thick. I did the soak the plank thing and then cooked the
salmon on the plank over indirect heat over lump coal. Lots of
smoke and I wasn't trying to rush the meal but I was a tad anxious
to have it turn out fork tender. It did and it was good. But I'm
still of the opinion that salmon is overrated due to huge popularity
in restaurants. The tilapia I made last weekend was probably better
in terms of taste (IMHO). Next time maybe I'll cedar plank some
tilapia 🙂

Like so many things, the quality of salmon varies greatly and much of
it IS overrated. When I lived outside of Alaska, I didn't like any of
the salmon I could get in the stores and stopped eating it almost
immediately, but once I moved back and started either fishing for it
myself or buying good (ie kings or silvers as opposed to the
pinks/chums which are more commonly available outside of
salmon-fishing areas) I quickly grew to love it again. I'll take a
fresh salmon over almost any other type of local fish (except
halibut. I much prefer
halibut, but halibut fishing is deep-water fishing and a major outing
-- not one that I can run out in the evening or early morning and do.
Fortunately, there are always the fish markets!

Alexis.

I had this King salmon shipped in dry ice from Alaska so I definitely got
the good stuff 🙂

jmcquown said:

It was delicious when I tried it. The salmon fillets were about 3 inches
thick.

WOW a 3 inch thick fillet, not a steak? That was a huge salmon!!!!

--
Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

sf said:

jmcquown said:

It was delicious when I tried it. The salmon fillets were about 3
inches thick.

WOW a 3 inch thick fillet, not a steak? That was a huge salmon!!!!

It was 2 King salmon fillets totalling about 2 pounds, not steaks. I had to
remove the skin prior to cooking and it came with a sort of dry rub to use
to season the salmon. It was good but I sure wouldn't have it flown in
again. The planks are reusable so I'll try different, more locally
available (read: less expensive) fish and probably enjoy the results just as
well. I love fish almost as much as I love soup 🙂

Jill