Plank cooking originates in the Pacific Northwest well before the first Europeans arrived on the continent. It was a preferred method of the Northwest Native Americans, who most likely first cooked on slabs of wood over open flames out of a necessity for a cooking surface. However, they discovered that the technique imparted the flavor of the wood as a seasoning and from there the practice spread. Baking planks are typically made of untreated red cedar, though other types of wood such as alder, sugar maple, hickory, mesquite, and oak also can be used. The earliest documented recipe for plank cooking was published in The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer in 1911 and it was for planked chicken. Besides fish and chicken, the technique can be used for beef, pork, shellfish, lamb, and even fruits and vegetables.
Recipe Servings: 4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 lbs salmon fillets
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Submerge two 5 x 12-inch untreated cedar planks in water for at least 2 hours.
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Drain the planks and preheat them in the oven for 15 minutes. Place baking sheets on the lower oven rack to catch any drips.
- Remove planks and brush one side of each with oil, working quickly so that the wood does not cool too much.
- Place the fish fillets on the oiled side of the planks, brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place planks on top rack and bake 10–15 minutes. Fish can be served directly from the plank.
Notes
Salmon may be brushed with 2 tablespoons melted butter rather than olive oil. Up to ½ tsp dry mustard, 2 tablespoons paprika or garlic powder, or 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, onion powder, or thyme can be sprinkled on the fish before baking. When using more than one seasoning, mix the spices with the salt and sprinkle the mixture to ensure more even seasoning. Fish can be cooked on a hot barbecue rather than in the oven. Heat planks in the middle of a hot, covered barbecue. Add fish as above and cook, covered, for 10–15 minutes.
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