Sweet Willie

A few nights ago, Mrs Sweet Willie & I had what was perhaps one of the best grilled fish we've ever had.

Fresh Lake Trout on a cedar plank. INCREDIBLE^

I've also been using cedar planks with of course salmon, but also shrimp, scallops (wait for the plank to start to smoke before placing the latter on the plank)

edited to add: Lake Trout was <$5 a pound, not on sale, what a price !

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BamaVol

I found a couple tips on plank grilling in the grilling tips thread, but want as much info in advance. I have a 4 pack of small planks and will attempt salmon fillets tonight. What I know so far, mostly thanks to cblaisd:

1. Soak the plank at least an hour.
2. Oil before adding fish.

What I'd also like to know:

1. How reusable are they? How long do they last?
2. Do they clean up well?
3. What am I aiming for - smoke flavor? Any conflicts between seasoning/marinade & smokiness?
4. What else can I cook on planks? Meat?
5. Gas grill same as a charcoal grill?
6. What have I not though of?

YVR Cockroach

Just made grilled cedar plank salmon, living where both wild salmon and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) are still somewhat plentiful if not available for now, so:

1. have had at least 2 uses out of the planks. Then again I do soak them for at least 8-12 hours. Looking at the planks I used last night, I think may be good for a 3rd go, if not a bit charred underneath.

2. Yes, they clean up well. just scrub them off.

3. The flavour you're aiming for it thujones, the aromatic chemical found in Thuja spp and reportedly also what you find in absinthe. No smokiness unless you burned the board. It is more of a dry steaming process.

I find that reusing the board results in less Thujoney flavorful fish each time so if you want to full effect, use new wood. What you can also do is soak the boards in as little water as you can so the thujones aren't diluted away (you see the water becoming dark as it is leached out).

5. Never tried it with charcoal/coal dust. Just gas.

6. Don't buy planks. Buy untreated cedar fence board (lot cheaper -$3 for a 4' long 6" wide fence board here) instead and look for the dark rich red colour of the heartwood, not the white sapwood. You should be able to smell the thujones.

I don't oil the fish but put the fillet skin side down. Not need for it as the (pacific) salmon is plenty oily.

BamaVol

That's funny. I work for a company that makes wooden fence. I wonder what anyone would say if I ordered boards (have to ship from Canada) and told them I was using them to cook.

cblaisd

:blush:

1. Not at all. One grilling
2. N/A
3. "Woody flavor." No. Although something really strong like hoisin sauce would mask the "woody" flavor. (A simple favorite is shoyu [i.e., soy sauce], grated fresh gingerroot [a hunk of this keeps in the freezer forever], and brown sugar).
4. Pork chops work well if they're boneless.
5. Sell the gas grill on Craigslist
6. The time to do planked fish, if it's a thick cut, correlates nicely with the time to do corn on the cob on the grill. (put ear or two of corn, dab of butter, and one ice cube in double-wrapped foil package and turn frequently over direct heat on grill). Planking works really well with fish that it's impossible to do directly on the grill, like think tilapia or catfish filets.

Eastbay1K

Don't forget your food will continue to cook until you take the food off, and get the plank in cold water quickly if you are going to re-use it, because your house will start to smell like smoking wood and you also want to save as much of the plank as you can. I like the "final use" when I just take the food off and watch the chunks of plank fall into the coals.

TMOliver

Wild goose (breasts) cooked on cedar planks/shingles.

Build campfire.
Season goose breasts (Don't worry about grease/oil/lube. Geese have plenty).
Attach goose breast to planks or cedar shingles UNTREATED! (Don't use painted nails/tacks, either).
Stand planks upright around fire (Be sure an have some props).
Switch ends occasionally to even out cooking.
When done, detach breasts.
Discard goose breasts, and eat planks/shingles.

Baritone73

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Tour: BlackBerry9630/4.7.1.61 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I know better than to start an argument on the relative merits of gas and charcoal grills. I will say, however, that we have grilled salmon several times using cedar planks on our propane grill to great effect. We haven't been able to re-use the planks, though. The direct heat really seems to do a number on them. Maybe we're just not soaking them long enough.

BamaVol

My first attempt was a semi-disaster. I soaked the planks for 65 minutes but that was clearly insufficient. They caught fire in minutes. I ended up shutting off a burner and letting them cook indirectly. The flavor was superb and Mrs BV was a big fan too. There will be no reusing these bad boys however.

Change in the next batch? Soak for hours with a weight on top!

Starwood Lurker

My experience using these is limited. I think I've done it twice. Once was with salmon on alder planks; the other with tuna on oak planks. Both turned out with excellent results, but the first time I only soaked the wood for about 4 hours and the second time I let them soak overnight. Using your cooking brick to weigh them down is definitely a must. I could not have used the first planks a second time, but probably could have used the second round planks if I took the trouble to clean and store them properly. Too much hassle for me personally. YMMV.

Best regards,

William

uncertaintraveler

stevechin

I have a charred up and warped plank from the first use. Has anybody thought of breaking the plank apart or cutting it up into little pieces for use as smoke?

Reason I ask is because I brought some salmon to my friend's place, and he put a bunch of cedar chips on a little foil tray then placed it on the grill until they smoked, then grilled the salmon. The foil tray with the smoking cedar chips gave it some slight flavoring. I figure the plank and the chips are similar, except for size.

I'm thinking of sawing the plant into little pieces and smoking them as flavoring for the grilled salmon.

Starwood Lurker

Yes. I did this with the remnants of what was left over from my planks. I did not, however, re-soak them and I would recommend that be done overnight as they did not last very long without it. Although, if most of the plank is charred, that might be a waste of time as you may not get much moisture sucked up on the really badly charred portions.

Best regards,

William

greggwiggins

One of the best pieces of fish I have ever eaten was served to me at a Virginia restaurant's beer dinner a few years ago. It was rockfish (striped bass to some of you), grilled and served on a piece of oak barrel stave that had been used to age first bourbon and then an Imperial stout. The flavors of the whiskey and beer combined with the tannins from the oak to create a just incredible result, especially when paired with a malty, sweetish, port-barrel-aged barleywine.

N965VJ

Wow, that sounds good. I guess the next best thing would be some Jack Daniels smoking chips make from from old oak barrels sprinkled on the charcoal.