Planked Salmon

tgs2401

one of my healthier favorites

GoooDawgs

One of my favs, nice cook!

dmchicago

Yes!

jabam

Love planked salmon! 

bgebrent

Love this too.  Nice meal brother!

Battleborn

We had salmon as well. Love it. Great cook!

jakebge

Looks great.  I can't tell, did you leave the skin on with the plank?

YukonRon

Beautiful cook! 

tgs2401

jakebge said:

Looks great.  I can't tell, did you leave the skin on with the plank?

Yep, heated the plank 3 minutes then flipped it and put the salmon skin down on it for about 20 minutes. It's pretty easy to lift the salmon off the plank leaving the skin behind using a spatula. My butcher tells me you want to cook it with the skin on as that is where the healthy oils and minerals reside and they transfer to the meat while cooking. Internal temperature of 125 degrees is just right, meat is done and flaky.

pgprescott

A true egg classic. A great one at that. Nice!

JohnnyTarheel

Real nice!!!

fzman

I did my first salmon on a plank Monday night.  I used the plate setter in my small BGE.  I am amazed at how great everything tastes cooked in it.  I was a little worried about what I had done when I was waiting for it to be delivered, but I am unbeliveably happy with it.

da87

Dumb newbie question - has anyone tried it on the plank skin side up?  Wondering if that would add a bit more cedar flavor and keep the salmon moister?

Dyal_SC

da87 said:

Dumb newbie question - has anyone tried it on the plank skin side up?  Wondering if that would add a bit more cedar flavor and keep the salmon moister?

@da87 I would imagine the meat would stick to the board that way.  Also, you would prolly have the opposite effect in terms of moisture.  The healthy fat from the salmon surfaces itself while it cooks... so if you go skin side up and meat side down, you're going to lose that fat and moisture into the cedar plank.  The skin is the protective layer between the meat and the board. If you are looking for extra moisture, you could always add a layer of sliced fruit on top of the salmon. 

tgs2401

fzman said:

I did my first salmon on a plank Monday night.  I used the plate setter in my small BGE.  I am amazed at how great everything tastes cooked in it.  I was a little worried about what I had done when I was waiting for it to be delivered, but I am unbeliveably happy with it.

@fzman, no need for the platesetter as the cedar plank acts as a buffer for the heat plus the plank may not smoke if its not getting hit with the direct heat. Sounds like it was good your way so go with whatever works, but you might try it next time.

Abter

slightly spinning this thread in a different direction:  Do you think that using a cedar plank makes a big difference, or is it more the effect of the style of cooking fish on a soaked wood plank?  This is a general question about planking...not specific to plank-in-egg.  My favorite catch-and-eat fishing season is here now on the Chesapeake, and I've been thinking of all the ways I can use my egg for the striped bass, bluefish, spanish mackeral and (maybe) flounder I hope I will be bringing home for the next 3 or 4 months.  I'm wondering if cedar planks (about $1 to $2 per plank) should be on my list?

jtcBoynton

@Abter  You may want to try Alder chips for smoke.  They are widely available and many will find the flavor superior to cedar smoke.  

pgprescott

@Abter, I'm a huge fan of the cedar plank with salmon. I'm not sure how I would like it with others. The fatty salmon pairs perfectly IMO. @jtcBoynton correctly pints out the Alder is the more traditional version and preferred by many. I happen to like the cedar far better. It is personal preference. That said, Alder planks are also available. At our Eggfest this past weekend a couple did cedar planked salmon and soaked the plank in red wine the night prior. Yum!