Chandler Homes and BBQ – Planked Salmon

If you’re not a fan of Steven Raichlen I guess you have not perused the BBQ book section at Barnes and Noble. I became a fan several years ago after watching one or two of his BBQ University shows on public TV. It wasn’t long before I had a collection of his books which I regularly refer to when getting ready to grill. This recipe is based on his Planked Salmon with Mustard and Dill Sauce. I make this 5 or 6 times a year usually when Costco has a screaming deal on Salmon. Preparation is easy, and the cooking couldn’t be any easier.
You need one cedar plank for each salmon fillet that you are doing. On my grill, a fairly good sized Fire Magic model I can squeeze 2 planks in the center section. Many grills won’t be able to do this, so you might be limited to 1 salmon fillet / 1 plank in your model.

Ingredients
1 salmon filet, with our without skin
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper (I use just a touch of sea salt, freshly ground, and fresh ground pepper)
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup mustard (I prefer the gray poupon)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (in a pinch I have used dried dill and it works fine, but cut the amount to ¼ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preparation Instructions
Soak your cedar plank at least an hour before grilling. You can submerge it in a clean sink by placing a couple of heavy dishes on top of it.
Prepare the salmon by pulling out any loose bones, rinse with cold water, and blot the excess water from it. If you are using salmon filets with skin then generously oil the skin side with olive oil. For Skinless, pick one side of the salmon to oil (this will be placed face down on the plank to make it easy to remove after cooking)
Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the salmon and place on the plank.
Mix your mayo, mustard, dill and lemon zest. Add a touch of salt and pepper to taste.
When you are ready to head to the grill spread the mayo mix evenly over the top side of salmon on the plank.

Grilling Instructions
Set the grill up for indirect cooking and get a medium high heat going.
Place the plank on the grill (indirect of course), close the grill, and cook for about 30 minutes. According to good old Mr. Raichlen the salmon should achieve an internal temp of 135 degrees F to be cooked. I am not nearly that scientific. I simply look for a golden brown coloring to the mayo mix. When that has happened I get that plank of fillet off the grill and get it to the table.
I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Your Chandler Realty Resource and Griller
John Groves