Cedar-Planked Salmon

I love to grill! Grilling and Spice Blends go hand and hand. Below is a recipe for Cedar-Planked Salmon and two options for spice blends. This recipe comes from a book I purchased at World Market called Plank It! Wrap It! by Tiffany Haugen. It is so delicious. The salmon is tender and moist with just a hint of smoke. I like it medium, if you over cook salmon it starts to taste fishy. Enjoy this as an main dish or an appetizer. My mother, sister and I often enjoy it for girls night with crackers, cream cheese, shallots and capers.  

Cedar-Planked Salmon

Ingredients

1 fillet of salmon [3-6 servings]

1 teaspoon Herb Medley Rub

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 lemon, sliced

Olive oil for brushing

1 prepared cedar plank*

Place sliced lemons on prepared plank. Place fish skin side down on lemon layer. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over fish. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Grill or bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes in large chunks or reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees.

*Prepared Plank: Soak cedar plank in water for 2 hours or overnight. Place plank on a preheated grill for 5 minutes. Turn plank over and place food to be smoked on the side that has grill marks.

Herb Medley Rub

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp dried rosemary

In a small bowl, mix all the rub ingredients until crushed and combined. Or using a mortar and pestle, grind until combined.

This recipe is delicious as an appetizer. Serve it with crackers, cream cheese, shallots(or pickled red onion) and capers.

Shown here with pickled red onions

If you do not enjoy Herbs try this Rub from the Neelys. It add a BBQ sweetness to the salmon.

Sweet and Spicy Rub for Salmon

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a small bowl, mix all the rub ingredients until combined.

By the way both spice blends are delicious on chicken or pork. The Sweet and Spicy Rub makes a great BBQ seasoning for popcorn.