YIELDS:
PREP TIME:
24 hours 10 mins
COOK TIME:
0 hours 30 mins
TOTAL TIME:
24 hours 40 mins
ingredients
2 (6-ounce) Salmon fillets
1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 Tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Tsp. Powdered mustard
¼ Tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
¼ Cup honey
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
A Pinch of Calabrian chili flakes
Melted butter, for brushing salmon
1 untreated cedar plank submerged and soaked in water over night (8-24 hours)
Olive oil
1 Lemon, cut into wedges
DIRECTIONS
2. Cut slits on the top of the salmon fillets to help them absorb all the flavors in the rub and sauce.
3. In a small bowl or cup, mix the salt, pepper, old bay and dry mustard.
4. In a bowl, heat the honey in the microwave for 30 seconds then remove and add the balsamic vinegar and chili flakes. Stir to mix.
5. Brush the top of the salmon fillets (not the skin side) with the melted butter. Season the flesh side with the spice mixture. (there may be some left over…that is fine.) Brush with the honey-balsamic mixture, and save the rest for a second brushing later.
6. If you have an oven that can only do one function at a time, now is the time to turn on the broiler in the oven to high. Put the soaked planks under the hot broiler, about 5 inches from the heat source, until the wood is browned on top, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the planks from the oven and brush the brown size with olive oil. Put the fish filets (skin side down) on the cedar plans
7. Put a baking sheet in the oven below the planks on a second rack to catch any of the juices that run off. Return the planks to the broiler and cook the fish for 10 minutes. Baste the fish with the rest of the honey-balsamic-chili flake glaze and place in oven.
8. If you have a one-function oven, put the oven back on to 400 degrees. And cook until it is done to your taste, about 20 minutes for medium.
9. Serve this amazing piece of fish with a side of my coconut rice or my coconut and cashew cauliflower rice.
NOTE: While I’ve made cedar plank salmon a dozen times outside on a grill, I never thought of actually doing it in my house. Once I tried it, there was no going back. This is a really easy and simple recipe that mixes a couple of great ingredients to create not only a rub but also a fabulous glaze. Cedar Planks add this amazing smoky quality that’s almost like a barbeque.
You’ll notice I gave instructions for ovens that can “only do one thing at a time”! Can’t believe they still make those…lol. No one lets me do one thing at a time!!! But they are out there so no worries. You’ll heat up that oven first to keep it nice and hot when you are using the broiler then just switch it bake to oven mode as in the instructions.
A couple of tips for getting the best results:
- Wear gloves and use sturdy tongs to move the cedar planks…they get hot.
- Be sure to soak those planks a long time. You don’t want them bursting into flames so do soak them a good 8 – 24 hours fully submerged.
- Keep them a good 5 inches from the broiler elements in the oven. This will allow them to heat up and brown but not burn.
- Do use salmon filets with skin. That skin will provide a barrier to the fish filet and keep the fish from sticking. So, even if the skin sticks, you can easily removed the fish filet from the board.
- You can easily double and triple this recipe and you can always use a whole side of salmon instead of individual portions.
- They sell cedar planks in all sizes so get the ones that work for the group you are serving. Just note that since you have to soak these, you want to be sure your boards can be immersed in water. If you don’t have a tub or bucket to hold the bigger boards, just buy a few smaller ones.
Hope you give this a try and let me know how it turns out.
