I think I have writers block, which I hear is a prescibable ailment (at least in some states) these days, but I digress. After the month-long eat-athon that was my holiday season, I can’t seem to look my grill in the eye and I have been relying on my trustee guest bloggers to carry the load… but I really need to get back on it.  Plankers and soon-to-be plankers everywhere need me. But what to plank? Well, when that question arises, the only thing to do is to visit and revisit the mainstay-planked entrée:

Wild Chinook Salmon prepared on an Outdoor Gourmet Western Red Cedar Plank

So, why does Cedar Grilling Planked Salmon have such staying power?

Let's talk salmon...

Salmon, when prepared correctly, is high in protein and Omega-3 Fatty Acid. Both the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association list salmon on their Top Ten Heart-Healthy foods list.  It also appears on too many publications’ "Super Food" lists to mention.  That, and it’s delicious.

Now, let's talk planking...

Planks, cooking planks, grilling slabs, or whatever else you want to call them- preparing food on a water saturated piece of wood allows for indirect heat, slow cooking.

Research shows that slow cooking rather than  high-heat cooking retains more nutrients in your food- frying, searing, and charring leeches, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other essentials.

Planking is the healthy option because nutrients are retained, while your food is infused with moisture and essential cedar flavor and smoke, which are two separate flavor profiles. No additional oil or butter is needed when planking- just you filet and a squeeze of lemon.

For these reasons, salmon and cedar grilling planks are a consummate pair.

How to Plank Salmon...

First- soak your Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Grilling Plank in water. An hour or two prior to grilling will work just fine, but a longer soak time permits the plank to absorb more moisture. This allows for more cedar-infused water vapor to be released during the grilling process.

Then- get your grill up to medium heat (350-400 degrees). Place the wet plank on the pre-heated grill and heat plank for another 2-3 minutes before adding the filet. This allows the grilling plank to begin to smolder and smoke.

Next- place you salmon on plank and close grill lid. No flipping, turning, or tweeking is needed.  Remove when cooked to your liking. It's that easy and your grill isn't a greast, charred mess.

Leftovers, no problem!

Welcome to your weekend. -KB

Fast forward a bit and the backyard grill was invented. Shortly thereafter, Outdoor Gourmet started producing more manageably-sized pieces of Western Red Cedar to cook with and blam! The modern-day grilling plank was born and we've been planking ever since.

What we're planking this weekend- Fall Steelhead.

Steelhead (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) are rainbow trout that migrate to the ocean, then return to fresh water to spawn-fish that do this are called anadromous fish. In Idaho, the Fall Steelhead run (the A-Run) is on right now. The Spring (B-Run) starts sometime in June and traditionally boasts much larger fish than the A-run. The Spring runners have spent two years in the ocean, opposed to the Fall fish, which only spent one year out at sea.

So, how are Steelhead different than Salmon? Well, for our purposes, they aren't that different. Salmon and Steelhead both migrate up river to spawn and rely mostly on krill as their food source, which gives them that nice pink-orange coloring. Once filleted, the two are almost identical in color, taste, and texture. If put to a blind taste test, I would struggle to tell the two apart.

The major difference is once you get to the cold case. Steelhead is much less expensive than Coho, Chinook, or Sockeye Salmon, and in my opinion, just as good.

Cedar Planked Steelhead

Here’s how it works:

First - soak your cedar grilling plank in water. An hour or two prior to grilling will work just fine, but a longer soak time permits the plank to absorb more moisture. This allows for more cedar-infused water vapor to be released during the grilling process.

Next - season your Steelhead fillet, if you please. I used this brown sugar, paprika, chili rub for the first time and it was great! I find that using a maple syrup, agave, honey, or brown sugar lightly caramelizes the outside of the fish, which aids in moisture retention. That, and it's delicious!

Then- get your grill up to medium heat (350-400 degrees). Place the wet plank on the pre-heated grill and heat plank for another 5 minutes before adding your fillet. This allows the plank to begin to smolder and smoke. Place your fillet skin side down on the plank and close grill lid. No flipping, turning, or tweeking is needed.

Finally- Cook to your liking, carefully remove, and enjoy. It's just that simple.

Happy Steelhead Season! Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Cedar Planked Salmon with Blueberry Reduction Sauce

I've got more blueberries and peaches than I know what to do with- I've canned, cobblered, and just plain gorged myself into oblivion on these hot-weather delicacies and there is still fruit to spare. But hey, if that's all I have to gripe about, things must be going pretty well.

I've only consumed 5 servings of cedar planked salmon this week, down from my usual 8-9 weekly servings. Fortunately, just about everything goes with planked salmon and where there's a grill, there's a way!

This week's recipe is Super-Summery Salad with Planked Sockeye topped with a Blueberry Balsamic Reduction, but first, a quick a brush-up on planking technique.

Here's how it works:

First- soak your cedar grilling plank in water. An hour or two prior to grilling will work just fine, but a longer soak time permits the plank to absorb more moisture. This allows for more cedar-infused water vapor to be released during the grilling process.

Then- get your grill up to medium heat, 350-400 degrees. Place the wet plank on the pre-heated grill and heat plank for another 5 minutes before adding the food. This allows the plank to begin to smolder and smoke.

Next- place your seasoned salmon on plank and close grill lid and let cook for recommended time. The average fillet takes between 14-18 minutes, depending on thickness. No flipping, turning, or tweaking is needed. Once cooked, remove from the grill and enjoy!

So, for my salad, I used mixed baby greens, but just use whatever you have fresh in the fridge or from the garden, toss with a little olive oil, salt and fresh cracked pepper and top with hot salmon, blueberry balsamic reduction and freshly slice peaches!

Blueberry Balsamic Reduction

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 cup Fresh Blueberries, plus extra for fresh garnish

- Macerate berries until juicy and then add vinegar. Let the berry juice and pulp meld with vinegar for up to an hour.

- Pour blueberry and vinegar mixture through cheesecloth or very fine strainer to remove pulp and seeds. Bring strained blueberry vinegar to a simmer, whisking constantly.

- Reduce vinegar down until desired viscosity- I like it pretty syrupy. Mix in fresh blueberries and top salmon with your hot Blueberry Balsamic Reduction!

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Every couple years, a basic nutrient is glorified and/or villified with updated dietarty studies. Carbs were uncool and high-protein diets were the thing. All of a sudden, anti-oxidants cure everything from wrinkles to ringworm. While most of this is metabolic mumbo-gumbo, the American Heart Association has found that Omega-3 Fatty Acids have a wide range of benfits and increasing your intake of fresh fish, salmon in particular, is one of the best ways to increase your intake of said OMG-3's.

Since the release of the studies in the early 2000's, the American intake of salmon has spiked to four times what is used to be in the '90s.

OmegA-3'S Roll

Every cell in our body is surrounded by a cell membrane composed mainly of fatty acids. The cell membrane allows the proper amounts of necessary nutrients to enter the cell, and ensures that waste products are quickly removed from the cell.

So, here is just another great Cedar Planked Salmon Recipe to aid you cell membrane health and well-being.

Ingredients

1 Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Grilling Plank

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Cointreau (orange-flavored liqueur)

1 teaspoon grated orange or lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)

1 cup orange or lemon sections (about 2 oranges)

3/4 cup diced peeled avocado (about 1)

1/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Combine syrup, Cointreau, and rind in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 3 minutes). Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper over fish; brush fish with syrup mixture.

Place fillet on the grilling plank, skin down.

Place plank and fillet on a preheated grill and close lid. Cook fillet for 12-15 minutes per pound. The plank will smolder, creating smoke. That's what gives the salmon its wonderful taste. If flame occurs, douse with spray water bottle.

When the salmon is cooked to your liking, serve it at the table on the plank. Place on a cutting board or platter and serve by sliding a spatula between fish and skin.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, orange sections, avocado, orange juice, onion, bell pepper, chives, and lime juice in a medium bowl; serve with fish.

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

In the cedar grilling plank business, the two largest events of the year just happen to coincide- Memorial Day and the Copper River Salmon Run. Both of these events have the masses congregating on patios, decks, beaches and in their backyards, briquettes in hand, with BBQ on the brain, eager to take part in the little bit¿ of Americana called the three-day weekend.

I celebrated the kickoff of grilling season 2010 in the only way someone in my line of work would... by planking a whole bunch of food! Hot wings, beer brats, sirloin and assorted vegetables on hickory skewers, all hit the grill and were quite scrumptious, but nothing could compare to the 5 lb. Copper River Salmon! That is 5 lbs. minus head and gutted, mind you!

I soaked my 16 x 7 Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks all afternoon and filleted out my big, beautiful fish into two whopping slabs... the recipe I use is listed below.

Sprinkle salmon fillet with brown sugar,real maple syrup or bed with lemon and herbs, as shown in photo. Season to t aste with salt, coarsely ground pepper and garlic.

Place fillet on the grilling plank, skin down.

Place plank and fillet on a preheated grill and close lid. Cook fillet for 12-15 minutes per pound. The plank will smolder, creating smoke. That's what gives the salmon its wonderful taste. If flame occurs, douse with spray water bottle.

When the salmon is cooked to your liking, serve it at the table on the plank. Place on a cutting board or platter and serve by sliding a spatula between fish and skin. ENJOY!

We ate ourselves into a stupper then headed out to the fire pit to burn the remaining planks. Yes, the palnks are reusable, but these had a good amout of salmon skin stuck to 'em and I didn't want the dogs getting to them, so they were part of our Memorial Day Weekend camp fire.

Welcome to your Three-Day Weekend. -KB