Canadian Cedar Planked Salmon

Fabulous recipe, tastes just like in a restaurant. I found putting the lemon slice on top of the salmon shielded that part of the fish from the heat (so it didn't cook properly in that spot) so I just squeezed the juice on the fish and took the slice off. Better to just use the slices for presentation at the end. My plank also caught on fire a few times (heat was too high I guess), so have a glass of water ready and dribble water along the edge of the plank if it catches on fire.

This a great basic recipe to use as a baseline, especially if you've been out fishing the majority of the day. I prefer to substitute the Olive Oil with a high quality garlicky vinaigrette containing all natural ingredients. I've found, depending on the size of the fillet (cooking time), that a plank (Red Cedar) soaked anywhere between two to four hours is suitable for the job. I also like to sprinkle some Kosher salt (or Hawaiian red salt) on a lightly oiled (Olive Oil) plank before topping it off with the fillet skin side down. This followed up with some small slices of onion (I prefer Sweet, but use what you like) and a few slices of lemon provides not only an exquisite taste but a very impressive presentation. The fresher the fish the better, the picture I've provided was of a Western Washington Coho caught, filleted, put on ice in a container (stored in the refrigerator, drain the water as the ice melts occasionally to avoid letting the fillet to soak up water) and planked the same day. No matter how long you've soaked the plank I'd suggest you always keep a squirt bottle containing water to eliminate any flare ups.

First time using a plank. I soaked it for 24 hours, then wasn't able to buy salmon. Took the plank out of water for a few days, bought some salmon and soaked it again for 24 hours before grilling. I turned the gas grill to high, put the plank on for 5 minutes, then turned it over and put some oil on the charred side of the plank, then put the salmon on. Then turned grill to medium heat. I never needed to extinguish any fire on the plank. Regarding preparation I added a few cloves of pressed garlic and I did not lay lemon slices on the salmon, instead I used lemon juice. It was great, truly yummy. I used a cedar plank. The cedar definitely added a distinct flavored to the fish. It was almost a little too strong for my preference. (note: just my preference, nobody else brought it up, they just kept saying how good it was) After I use up all my cedar planks I will try some alder planks, they are suppose to be a little more mild and sweet. The recipe is great, thanks!

Amazing, easy gourmet meal. The smoked flavor along with the peppercorn was delicious. For the cedar plank: I spoke with a lumber yard owner, and was told the following: cedar is untreated as a whole, since it is quite a dense wood and doesnt require chemical treatment for carpentry. My plank was not heartwood (center of tree), so it was not quite so dense (great for soaking water). Also, it was not planed (pretty rough), and I think that caused it to ignite more often. Totally controllable, just keep the lid on and it doesn't feed the wood with enough oxygen to create a blaze. Basically, a cheap plank from a lumber yard did the trick! I also found that the lemon slices on top of the salmon while it cooked caused it to absorb some heat, making the salmon less cooked under the areas. I would recommend squeezing the juice onto it for cooking, then adding slices for serving. Served with steamed spinach, rice, and wine. I prefer red wine entirely, so I paired the salmon with a sweet pinot noir. The smokey, peppercorn flavor along with the spinach really brought out the light, sweet flavors of the wine. This is one for the index cards!

Fantastic recipe! We had it for a BBQ with the inlaws and it was a big hit. They thought I had spent hours in the kitchen cooking but I found it easier to do than home made burgers. The prep time is minimal, if you chop the onions the night before, the hardest thing to do is to remember to soak the plank the night before. I turn one burner off on my BBQ and place the plank on the other side. I served it with grilled zuccini and mushrooms that I placed on the side the burner was on. Super easy gourmet weekday supper.

WOW!! This was so delicious! My husband ate three pieces. I added some chopped garlic to the olive oil, and sprinkled some dill on with the pepper. The combination of the flavours was perfect - we could really taste the cedar too. Many grocery stores now sell the planks by their fresh fish section - check there first.

Awesome! Fixed this for a group of foodies and they are still raving about it 3 days later. Simple, simple, simple.

I ordered something similar to this at a restaurant not long ago. Went to Whole Foods this weekend and bought the cedar planks. We cooked this tonight and it was AWESOME!!!! Didn't change a thing in the recipe. This is going to be a regular in our family. YUM!

This was such a good recipe. It was so simple to make but tasted like it took hours. I made it for my husband as an early Valentine's dinner and we both ate everything on our plates.

This was the best salmon I've ever had. I made it for my friend & I while the boyz ate steak. She said it was the best salmon she's ever had as well. I followed suggestions and coated the salmon with lemon juice instead of lemon slices. 20 minutes on medium heat was purrrfect. Definitely going to use this recipe again and again.

This was amazing!! I did add kosher salt and 2 cloves of crushed garlic as other's suggested...I also just squeezed 1/2 a fresh lemon onto the salmon near the end of cooking...absolutley delish!

The smaller pieces of salmon came out more flavorful than the larger ones, so use small fillets, but even the larger cuts came out tasty!

Delish!

Enjoyed this very much. Quite easy and tasty

Salmon grilled like this is the BEST! I've cooked this a number of times. As per recommendation of other user, I squeeze the lemon on top instead of placing actual lemon slices (for more even cooking of the salmon). I've also sprinkled onion powder over the salmon instead of sliced onion and it still turned out amazing. Also, I brush the plank with Olive Oil as well (it seems to reduce flare ups). AND.....my biggest tip would be to only preheat the plank for the amount of time suggested in recipe, no longer. The first time I did this, I threw the plank on and came back into the house to do some things, went back to put the salmon on and it was on fire! I guess I preheated it a bit too long. I was having a dinner party of 8 at the time.....but, believe it or not, it still came out great grilled on the completely charred plank and all!!

Fantastic! I usually tended toward Asian/Teriaki when preparing salmon...but no more!! I prepared just about as the recipe suggested only I added some pressed garlic, finely minced the onion and sprinkled fresh lemon juice on top as others suggested. The fish was flavorful, moist and tender. Just went out and bought another huge filet to have this again!

My husband made this - it was OK but kinda bland. Maybe we needed more spice. Easy and simple recipe though, worth a try.

Even though I forgot to salt the plank, I had great results! I sliced the lemon very thin and sprinkled the onion on top of the lemon slices. Great recipe, seasonings don't drown out the salmon flavor.

Very yummy and I normally don't like any fish!

I love cedar planked salmon. This is a good starting recipe. Try it with different marinades on the salmon as well. I personally love the maple marinade with the smoky cedar

The best salmon I have ever eaten. I used lemon and jalepeno slices.

Hope you like this recipe as much as we did. Thanks.

Excellent Salmon. I used cedar plank. I didn't use oil or pepper corns. I added fresh garlic slices, fresh lemon slices and some fresh dill and it turned out WONDERFUL. Loved the cedar flavor with it. Will be making this regularly.

I soaked my plank for 24 hours (and it barely caught on fire while I was cooking, so I imagine that the longer you soak it, the better). I squeazed the lemon juice on the salmon instead of putting the lemon slices on top of the fillets. I omitted the olive oil and the onion all together. Sprinkled sea salt and laid the salmon on top. Turned out great!

Absolutly wonderful recipe. We loved it! turned our great :)

Also very good without the onions

I could taste a smokey flavor, but thought that regular salmon right on the grill was better.

Got rave reviews at the campground on Memorial Day. I used frozen fillets, and shook Lemon-Pepper seasoning on them, after brushing with olive oil.

I used the same recipe except I used freash caught grouper instead of the salmon. The crushed pepper corns were a little strong. I also used anoher cedar plank on the grill for the veggies that were excellent. I think that the samon would have been a better fish choice for this recipe.

Easy and tasty. Only soaked the cedar for two hours and it still turned out great!

Thank god it's summer!

This is terrific and delicious. My guests were so impressed. Very easy and the smoky taste is awesome.

I used salmon steaks instead of fillets with the recipe. Cooked it slowly on the plank.Best salmon I have ever eaten!

We enjoyed this better than regular salmon on the grill. The flavor was a little more intense.

My husband undercooked the fish; overall, it has a nice light flavor. We will be making this again

Fantastic! This was easy and delicious. I didn't change a thing. The plank didn't catch fire, either.

Keep an eye on the salmon. Thick fillets may cook more slowly than expected, but you don't want to overcook it! A well soaked plank over medium/high flame makes the process more forgiving. Our "planks" are more like shingles, never more than 1/2" thick.