Cedar Planked Maple Glazed Salmon

Smoking meats and fish is a great American pastime. It was done in the past in combination with curing not to impart flavor as much as it was to preserve meat and fish though the months and on long journeys. There was no selection of wood chips available, electric or gas smokers like so many of us use today.  Whatever grew natively in the land was used to smoke with.  Some of our favorite dishes, like pastrami, gravlox and smoked salmon come from these techniques. I've included two salmon recipes here, including one that smokes it on the grill, and another that cures it into a version of pastrami.  The pastrami is not cooked, but cured in a multi-day process that infuses layers of flavor into the fish and renders it succulent and ready to eat.

Today we have a variety of woods to chose from.  Smoking with fruit wood such as apple or cherry wood will impart sweet smoky flavors.  Smoking with heavier woods such as hickory and mesquite will produce a smokier and almost bitter flavor.  There are so many ways to get that oh so good smoke flavor onto your meat and fish, from brining to dry rubs and cures, using a bbq with a side smoker box or fashioning an old 50 gallon drum into a smoker.

One inexpensive and easy way to get a smoke flavor is to use cedar planks.  You won’t find too many people who use cedar chips to smoke with, because cedar is a conifer.  Woods such as pine, fur, cedar and Cyprus are very soft and contain a lot of sap.  They burn very fast and in doing so will impart bad flavors.  However if you soak a plank of cedar in water for a day it will impart sweet smoky cedar flavors on your delicate fish. 

At Bridgewaters and Twenty Four Fifth we cedar plank salmon on our outdoor grill during the summer months and serve it right on the planks to our guests.  It’s a great way to present your fish and an interactive way of cooking in front of your guests.

Pastrami Salmon

Cure for 1 side salmon

One 4-5 lb side of salmon, skin on, pin bones removed

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

½ bunch parsley, chopped

2 medium shallots, chopped

2c Kosher Salt

2 Tbsp saltpeter (sodium nitrite or pink salt)

¼ c light brown sugar

¾ c turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground allspice

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Glaze for 1 side salmon

 ¼ cup molasses
1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

3 bay leaves
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp coriander seed
2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper

To cure the salmon, combine all ingredients for the cure in a bowl.   Place a cut piece of cheesecloth large enough to wrap around the entire side of salmon in a disposable pan or sheet tray.  Place half of the cure mix on the cheesecloth and spread it around so it will cover the skin side of the salmon when you lay it on top.  Lay the salmon on top of the cure mix, skin side down and use the remaining cure mix to coat the flesh side of the salmon.  Once covered, wrap the cheesecloth over the salmon.  Place another pan directly on top of the wrapped salmon and use a few cans of tomatoes or anything you have laying around to weight the pay/tray down.  This will help push the moisture out of the salmon and cure evenly.  Rest your salmon in the fridge with the weight on top for 3 days.

 

When 3 days have passed, remove from the fridge and unwrap.  Scrape off the cure mix and wipe the surface of the salmon off with a damp paper towel.  Place back in the fridge until ready to be glazed. 

In a small saucepan, combine the molasses, cayenne pepper, chili powder and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Let cool to room temperature. In a small sauté pan gently toast the whole coriander seeds until they become aromatic.  Crush them in a mortar and pestle and combine with smoked paprika and fresh ground black pepper. 

Brush the molasses onto the flesh side of your cured salmon and sprinkle the spice mixture on top.  Refrigerate the salmon uncovered overnight and enjoy the next day. 

 Cedar Planked Maple Glazed Salmon

Serves 4 people

4ea. 8-10oz portions of Salmon, skin off

1ea. 8inx18in cedar plank

¼ c. Maple Glaze

Vegetable Oil

Kosher Salt

Ground Black Pepper

For the Glaze:

¼ c Pure Maple Syrup

¼ c Dark Rum

1 ½ Tbsp Dijon Mustard

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot.  Cook over Medium heat until reduced by half and has a glaze consistency. 

For the Salmon:

    Purchase Cedar Planks for grilling or you can purchase a plank of Cedar from you local Hardware store.  Be sure if purchasing from a hardware store that the Cedar has not been treated with any chemicals. 

    Soak Cedar plank in cold water for a minimum of 2 hours.  Season your salmon portions with salt and pepper and brush on the maple glaze.  Preheat your grill on high.  Place your plank on the grill for 1 minute or so to get it hot.  Turn it over and with an oiled paper towel wipe the surface.  Place your seasoned and glazed salmon on top of the preheated plank.  Close the grill cover and let the salmon cook for 5-7 minutes.  You should see smoke and may hear a popping sound from the moisture in the wood.  If you see an excess amount of smoke you can lower the flame on your grill.  You want it to smoke but not to ignite.  Present your salmon to your guests right on the plank.