Bourbon-Cedar Planked Salmon

This one comes from our very own Tom Linderholm, who just so happens to be the executive chef for several well-known north shore and northern MN restaurants.

Enjoy!!!

Bourbon Planked Coho Salmon
With House Made Pickles

Cedar Planks
2 cups inexpensive bourbon
6 cups water
4 cedar planks

Combine liquid ingredients and pour over cedar planks, allow soaking for minimum of 6 hours. Pull from liquid.

Coho Salmon
4 8 ounce portions of salmon
4 soaked cedar planks
1 cup of honey
4 Tbl. brown sugar
4 Tbl. butter

Place 8 ounce portions of Coho salmon on each plank, skin side down and place on grill. Lightly season salmon with salt and pepper and allow cooking covered till inside juices begin to ooze from filet. At this point brush with honey, add a tablespoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of butter. Return cover and allow glaze to meld together. Once the glaze hits the grill it will ignite the cedar continuing the smoking process. This only takes a couple of minutes. Extinguish fire and serve on plank with a side of pickled cucumbers.

House Made Pickles
1 cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbl. Pickling spice
1 thinly sliced English cucumber (seeded)

Cut cucumber in half using spoon to pull seeds from inside, slice thinly and combine pickling mixture and pour over pickles. Allow to set for 2 hours refrigerated.

A few notes… Great recipe, but I would make sure to use indirect heat on the grill. Direct heat will work, but it tends to dry out the planks and usually starts a fire on the plank itself when I have tried it…. so, better to put the charcoal to the side or only light half of the propane grill and use the indirect heating method. I think you’ll get better smoking from the wood with the indirect method as well….

Soaking the planks overnight isn’t such a bad idea, either.

Then again, I’m not a pro chef, so what do I know… Thanks for the recipe!

I love the sweeter recipes… Maple syrup, (+/-brown sugar) and soy sauce makes a great basting liquid / dipping sauce as well.

Mike

Your making me hungry,sounds tasty, thanks for sharing

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Tom’s also not too shabby at guiding…..check out our Lake Michigan Report.

Joel

Whittsend, I use indirect on my grill, but it also cranks out pretty hot as its infared. The soaking of the plank allows the bourbon to work in more of a steaming fashion and the glaze igniting the cedar puts a great smoke flavor to the glaze without drying out your salmon. Iv’e done shorter soaks and it just never turns out quite as good.

I know what im eating tomorrow.

Sorry, thats what I get for not reading your post closesly enough… Didn’t mean to second guess your recipe, I just missed the part about the fire/smoke/etc…

Great recipe… I actually ate it last night from some of last year’s LM catch. VERY good!!

THanks!

Mike