As per usual, I have been way too busy to write a new entry. But I assure you that I still found time to cook, and that is the point of this blog. I guess when people try to cram to many things into their daily lives we tend to overlook some of the small but important things. That being said I chose this recipe because its a great meal that can be cooked by anyone and also can be found pre prepped in many supermarkets and food stores.
The first step to this dish is the cedar plank. You must use cooking grade cedar that does not have any chemicals or that has been treated in any way. The cedar at Home Depot will probably make you ill if you try to cook with it. The plank should be submerged in water for about an hour so the wood expands a bit and for the water to integrate some moisture into the wood so it wont flame up on the grill...(Your salmon should not look like it's in the fiery depths of hell). I used a two pound fillet of a beautiful North Atlantic Salmon. Now how the salmon is cleaned varies based on personal taste. Some would rather the skin be removed prior to cooking,(If you don't know how to remove the skin properly, your fish monger can do it for you) I prefer to leave the skin on, I feel the skin helps retain a bit of moisture in the meat of the fish and it helps create a fat barrier between the fish and the wood.
Some of the wood will char a bit during the cooking process and will give the fish a great smokey smell. The salmon was rubbed with a mixture of brown sugar and finely chopped garlic, freshly cracked black pepper, the juice of half a lime and a tea spoon of olive oil. Rub both sides of the fish gently, aggressive rubbing might break down the fish too much. Let the fish rest for a few minutes so the rub can do its magic, this gives you time to clean and prepare the asparagus and the mushrooms. The asparagus is grilled, so all you have to do to it is brush it with a little bit of olive oil and some sea salt. The mushrooms are coked in a sauce pan and reduced down into a gravy with some butter, white wine, and shallot's. Pre heat your grill on high for ten minutes then add the salmon, close the lid of your grill and reduce the heat to medium high. If you are using a charcoal grill, move your coals to the back of your grill and place the plank towards the front to even out the temperature. Cook until the temp reaches 130 degrees internally and remove it from the grill, let it rest for about 5 to 7 minutes...(The fish will still be cooking internally for a few minutes, so let it cool down for a bit). While the fish is resting, you can throw the asparagus on the grill for a few minutes. It doesn't take long for them to cook. I finished this dish with some sliced avocado with a little lime juice and a fruit that if you can find it in your local store, you should try it. The New Zealand Red Tamarillo is one of my favorite side dishes for its tartness, color and texture. I choose to use the tamarillo in this dish due to the fact that the fish had a sweet brown sugar glaze and the tamarillo would offset the sweetness in a different way that some citric acid would. After the salmon cools, slice it in two inch pieces. Place a spatula or a thin knife under the fillet and try to remove the fish while leaving the skin behind, it should peel right off. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on top and sprinkle finely chopped parsley over the plate and serve. This is a fun and a not so ordinary type of salmon meal that will certainly impress anyone you are serving it to... Now go cook !!!!
Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Rub.
2/3 of a cup of light brown sugar.
1 1/2 Tbsp of cracked black pepper.
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped .
1/2 Lime (juice only).
1 Tbsp of olive oil .
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry ones, and rub the mixture on the fish. Let the salmon stand with rub on it for at least 5 minutes.
Mushroom Sauce
14 to 16 small to medium size white button mushrooms...(Or two 8oz pre sliced packages will work as well).
1 small shallot finely chopped.
1 cup of white wine.
3 Tbsp of butter.
Rinse and slice the mushrooms, add them to a pan with 1 Tbsp of butter and the shallot. Let the mushrooms sweat out for a few minutes then add the rest of the butter and the wine. Add some fresh parsley, cover and reduce the heat to medium low until the mushrooms reduce into a gravy like consistency.
If anyone has a question on this or any other recipe, please see the comment section on this page .
Thanks
Dan
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