Question from complete novice

StanTheMan

Just got a large BGE this week and am trying out for the first time tonight. Going simple with some talapia on a cedar plank and I have a few questions. What temperature and for how long should I cook the fish? Should I put the plank directly on the grill over the fire or utilize the plate setter? Thanks in advance.

stike

400 until it's 140 in the middle.  maybe 15 minutes.

the plank IS the platesetter in this case.  the idea behind the plank is to allow it to block the heat so the fish roasts instead of grills.  bonus is that if you soak it (which you should, maybe a half hour), the water will be driven off halfway or so into the cook and the plank will start smoking.  i happen to think that a little cedar smoke on a fatty salmon is perfectly fine. it actually 'cut's the fat in a way, flavor-wise.

Little Steven

I was going to answer this but tilapia filets tend to be thin. Maybe no smoke if he soaks them?

StanTheMan

I'm soaking the plank now and was planning an hour because that's what the package says. It's been about thirty minutes so sounds like I should go ahead and take it out?

Little Steven

How thick are your fillets?

stike

i saw cedar and just assumed salmon.

hahaha

StanTheMan

Little Steven: not thick at all. Maybe 1/4 inch.

Little Steven

I don't think you will get much flavour in there cause they are going to cook fast. Maybe oil the fish side of the plank too.

StanTheMan

OK. Thanks. Like I said complete novice

Little Steven

It didn't come out in my reply but I meant put the plank on til it gives off a little smoke then put the fish on. I assume that is why you are using the plank

Squeezy

Cedar is best left to chests (smell keeps moths of of clothing) and shingles ...

Little Steven

Man,

A lot of people would disagree with you on that. Never had BC smoked salmon?

Squeezy

There are good woods availble for planking ... my fave is sugar maple and alder.

I have argued with many ... and I['m happy to say my chef trained brother agrees totally with me!

Why do we not cook with pine or any other evergreen? Why is it OK to use cedar? Is it not a form of evergreen?

I'm sure some expert will jump in and educate me ... and I hope they do!

 

stike

cedar and salmon go back a coupla thousand years together.  it's perfectly valid as a smoke.  just not too much.

westphalian ham is heavily smoked with juniper, too.  peopl gotta expand their minds and start using their brains around here (by "here" i mean "in the United States")

Little Steven

You must be right. I couldn't argue with a chef trained guy.

stike

...i'd also suggest that just as certain wines cut fatty foods, the tinge of cedar (it should never be 'smoked' per se) cuts the fattiness of good salmon.

maybe you are buying cheap salmon, smoking too much, and drinking it with bad wine.... hahahaha

look to europe, too, for foods smoked over soft woods.hell, there are as many people screaming about not using mesquite on any given day on a bbq forum.  people use what is regionally available, and grow used to the flavor.

stike

"chef trained"

hahaha

lousubcap

OT here but since the baseball season is over and the Cardinals won-you wouldn't be from the St. Louis area by chance??

 

Squeezy

Ah stike ... you are so amazing ... can't wait for the day when you extoll the virtues of "Spam" ... just because it has been around forever ... so it must be good!

StanTheMan

@lousubcap

I assume you're asking me because of the username. I'm not from St. Louis. My name is Stan and friends have called me STM for a long time.

Little Steven

Squeezy

 Absolutely. All the best recipes have been developed since WWII

stike

squeezy.  are you ever going to actually answer a question correctly, or post food that you have successfully cooked, or are you just gonna answer every question with the first thing that pops into your head, later justifying it because your brother knows a chef?

paulheels

Way to hijack a thread you guys. And everyone knows, smoking hotdogs over long leaf pine is delicious.

Little Steven

Uh, The OP asked about cooking on cedar planks...where is the jack?

Shwiezzee

squeezy.  are you ever going to actually answer a question correctly, or post food that you have successfully cooked, or are you just gonna answer every question with the first thing that pops into your head, later justifying it because your brother knows a chef?

 Amen =D>

paulheels

People bickering over who's right or wrong.


I like cedar planks with fish. Except that time I went inside for about two minutes and came back out and the plank was in flames. Fish was not very good haha. So be careful if it's over open coals.

Little Steven

Shwiezzee. Pickin on your fellow Canucks eh?

Shwiezzee

@ LS, 

Sorry just couldn't handle some of the advice given! 

How about them leafs? holy chit! 

Shwiezzee

Thats a hijack!

Squeezy

squeezy.  are you ever going to actually answer a question correctly, or post food that you have successfully cooked, or are you just gonna answer every question with the first thing that pops into your head, later justifying it because your brother knows a chef?

He is a trained chef and you can just piss off  .... how's that for the first thing that pops into my head?

paulheels

I know the leaves are beautiful down south too shwiezzee.


Now it's really a hijack.


Hahah