by aargersi
View
my 165 other recipes »
Photo 1 of 4
by MelanieEinzig
Photo 2 of 4
by MelanieEinzig
Photo 3 of 4
by MelanieEinzig
Photo 4 of 4
by aargersi
A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand Collapseaargersi's Notes:
Expand
1
cedar plank - fish sized
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
1
whole Lup De Mar - scaled and cleaned
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
kosher salt
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
olive oil
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
4
large basil leaves
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
thinly sliced tomato
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
thinly sliced red onion
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
thinly sliced lemon
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
kitchen twine
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
a squirt bottle filled with water (just in case!)
Ask the
hotline about
this ingredient!
A few hours ahead of cooking, soak your plank in water - you will have to weight it to hold it under. I do mine in the sink with a heavy pot. Heat your grill to HIGH when you are ready to get started.
Ask the hotline about this step!Rinse the fish and pat it dry. Sprinkle the inside with olive oil and kosher salt.
Ask the hotline about this step!Line the inside of the fish with the basil leaves, then layer the sliced tomato, onion and lemon. How many slices will depend on the size of the fish.
Ask the hotline about this step!Salt the outside of the fish, then tie it up with kitchen twine - roast style. Lay it on the plank.
Ask the hotline about this step!Head out to the grill. Make sure it is VERY hot. Lay the plank / fish on the grill and lower the cover. You are going to want to check every couple of minutes JUST in case the plank isn't completely soaked - coals and smoke are GOOD, a flaming plank is BAD. That's where the squirt bottle comes in.
Ask the hotline about this step!You might want to squirt the bottom part of the plank a couple times in either case to make it smoke up a bit. The smoke adds a TON of great flavor.
Ask the hotline about this step!When the plank is blackened and the fish is toasty brown on the "up" side, you're done! (see photo) Bring it in and cut the twine away. If you are a wimp (like me) remove the head and serve!
Ask the hotline about this step!Caution - the fish I cooked did have a lot of bones so I had to pull the meat out carefully. Just depends on your particular fish ...
Ask the hotline about this step!Somehow I missed this. I really like cooking with whole fish. I too, for some reason have stayed away from the cedar plank but I think I am changing my mind. The picture is great too.
Embrace the plank! We do this a LOT and are happy with the results every time! That's A&Ms photo - mine is the sad ugly one at the end :-)
For best results when using a cedar plank, you want to "pre-heat" the wood, so to speak. Put the plank (sans the fish) over hot coals, cover the grill, and wait until the wood begins to smoke. Then place the fish on the plank and close the grill. This method maximizes the smoky flavor from the cedar wood (which is the whole point of the method). Also, consider using indirect heat for cooking - pile the coals on one side of the grill and put the plank on the opposite side - this way the wood doesn't catch on fire.
Can planks be reused - or are they one time only things? I have a cedar plank that I've been wanting to test drive. This looks like a perfect way to do it. Thanks. And this would be great with one of your citrus salts, yes?
Hi there! YES on the citrus salt for sure ... they would work great. Planks are a one time use - it'll be pretty burned up when your done. And if you take the fish off the plank then forget the plank is on the grill for oh, 3 or 4 days, it is also stinky :-) Ask me how I know that.
ALL good info to know :-) I'll think we'll give this a go tonight. Thanks!
sounds soooo good Can't wait to try
I'm hoping for an early spring for many reasons and making this fish on a plank is one of them. This looks like a lot of fun.
Congrats! Very happy to see this is a finalist!!
Looks good. I know this trick works a treat with salmon fillets as well, so if you can't find a whole fish, that's another option.
Absolutely! I do that a lot too - I layer the onion tomato etc on top to keep the fish nice and moist ....
I've tasted Abbie's salmon on planks -- Delish!
Thanks SO much for the great idea of buying the planks at Home Depot!
Great recipe and smart tips.
I have always wanted to try and cook with a plank, and was just given a cedar plank as a gift. Thanks for your tips and recipe!
If you wanted to do this in the winter....without the grill, could you put the plank in the oven, in a roasting pan, would it impart the same smoking flavors, or do you need an open environment?
I think it needs to be done outside because you really need that sucker smoking, and for that you need fire ... I am afraid you would set off your alarm!
photo 1 of 13
photo 2 of 13
Merrill slices some tomatoes and lemons for stuffing in the belly of the fish. (You can skip the tomatoes this time of year.)
photo 3 of 13
A nicely cleaned fish.
photo 4 of 13
Merrill stuffs the fish as if she were neatly packing a suitcase.
photo 5 of 13
photo 6 of 13
Then Merrill tied it up with twine -- not too tight.
photo 7 of 13
The fish is lying on a cedar plank that we soaked in water for a couple of hours.
photo 8 of 13
The temperature dipped below 50F so Amanda came prepared. Merrill, however, is a braver soul.
photo 9 of 13
This is the fish after just a few minutes on the covered grill. Its skin turns the color of whiskey.
photo 10 of 13
It's a smoky affair. That's Amanda's backyard view -- a true Brooklyn neighborhood. If it were a clear day, you'd see the tops of some of the buildings in Lower Manhattan, too.
photo 11 of 13
The plank caught fire which, in retrospect, looks terrific. In the moment, it caused some panic. Didn't want a scorched fish for our final photo!
photo 12 of 13
Looking like it were made of bronze.
photo 13 of 13
Now, looking rather prehistoric. In a good way.
){kind=link}
A genius recipe. I can't wait to try this out.