Have you ever grilled salmon on a plank? It's actually really easy, and it brings a lot of great flavor to the salmon. The most important thing is to soak the plank for one or two hours before grilling. You can soak the plank in water, cider, or even wine. 😃

I have had planks lying in the my kitchen cabinets for a very long time, I've totally forgot all about them. But on my last few runs to Whole Foods Market, I've wanted to try their Cedar Plank Salmon. But I opted to try making my own, Hawaiian inspired salmon.

Here is my take.

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:

1 food-safe maple plank (you can use any kind of food-safe planks)
1 salmon fillet, or 2-3 portion sized
salt & white pepper
lemon juice

Topping:

2 thin slices fresh pineapple, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon curd
½ jalapeño, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup macadamia nuts
salt & white pepper
sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Directions:

Soak the plank in water for about two hours, making sure that it stay submerged.

Abut 15 minutes before you are ready to cook, preheat the grill/BBQ to 375-400℉ (190-200℃). You want to cook the salmon over direct heat.

Maple Plank Salmon ready for the grill/BBQ

Remove skin and bones from the fillet. You can let the skin stay on the fish, but I always remove it.
Drip some lemon juice over the fish, and season it with salt and white pepper. Place the fillet on the plank, and make the topping. If the filet has a thin tapered belly edge, tuck the edge under to get a more even thickness of the filet. This prevent the thin part to overcook.

Mix the topping and spread it evenly over the fillet.

Cook for about 12-18 minutes with the lid closed, until the salmon is done (when the salmon is no longer translucent but uniformly pink in the center. Small fillets will cook more quickly than larger cuts.

(Check the doneness by inserting a knife in the center and peek inside.)

You can reuse the planks until they become overly charred, cracked, or impossible to clean.

Enjoy!