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Picked up a few frozen whole wild salmon yesterday. I didnt want to mess with the barbacue being it not all that nice out, just did it in the oven,

Thaw salmon, sprinkle inside with lemon juice, sprinkle inside with course pepper .I usally cut up a medium onion and stick inside salmon, wrap it in foil and put in pan on middle rack at 140 degress for around 35 -40 minutes.

Now you can eat the onions if you want .... I just use them for moisture and flavor.

Ya I know ...nothing special but I love Salmon, I really dont want to change the taste.

I'm gonna have to try the maple surup some time...... I have done that a lot with steak but to be honest ..... Im trying to lose some weight so I have gotten away from covering everything with catsup, brown sugar, any type of barbacue sauce, and everything else with a ton of calories.

I have been eating a lot of fish lately

Originally Posted by gruntly

Well Jetta,


Maybe it was the vermouth... Next time I might try rye!

2 parts rye and 1 part vermouth a drop of bitters and you have a Manhattan! Makes any meal taste better.

Well Jetta,

Tonight I pulled your post #4 and it came out great. Woodsy? Wow! I couldn't believe how much of the cedar essense it picked up. The salmon was cut about 1" x 1" x 6" long and I cooked it until it was just done. It took the whole 40 minutes plus, so I may have had the bbq turned a little low. I'm sure the fact that I was getting snowed on must have helped get it off early, but there was no rawness taste at all. I dropped each on a bed of rosemary fried yukon gold scalloped potatoes surrounded by steamed & buttered asparagus & jullienne carrots, with a side of garlic bread. Starters was a musclan salad with pine nuts and a balsamic vinegarette... How female does this sound?

I used my last lemon in the marinade and the grocer didn't have any "I guess I forgot to order them" So I had to settle for Realemon as the squeeze.

Three of us ate. My youngest daughter raved, she loves anything fish, but my wife and I, although we said it was an extremely nice dinner, didn't seem to get as much out of it as I had hoped. I've has salmon many times before, my brother lives just outside Vancouver and his uncle-in-law was a commercial salmon fisher, and I try it every time it is offered to me, even go as far as to order it in the odd restaurant because I think in another life I would love it and crave it all the time. It sits well, I don't repeat it and it is very flavourful... but it just doesn't do the same to me as it does to others or something like chateaubriand or a good filet mignon does for me.

It was great, delicate and a well needed respite from the usual, but it wasn't something I would say was to die and go to heaven for. My wife is West Indian and grew up on many types of whitefish. She echoed the same sentiment. It just isn't for everyone I guess. Would I do it again? Yes, absolutely, but as a change from my regular diet, not as a special treat.

One last question: Can I or should I re-use the cedar? I bought and used the cooking planks you get off the shelf at HD in the bbq section. Like I said, the cedar transfer was amazing.

Maybe it was the vermouth... Next time I might try rye!

I am so glad I started this thread! It is so great to hear and try the different variations. Keep the variations coming!

I'm happy for ya Spotts!

I did a cedar-planked salmon last weekend for my brother and his wife. Did it just as I described in the beginning. They went wild for it!

For me it's the best way to do salmon. Not the only way...but for this boy it's the best!!

Originally Posted by benncool

Thinking about Spott's bad tasting salmon---I did forget to ask him.

Jack, you did remember to scrape the paint off of the cedar plank, first, didn't ya??????

OK, I tried it again. Rubbed a little olive oil on the fillet and some herbs while the plank was soaking, I let the fillet reach room temp. This time I kept an eye on it and pulled it when it was flaking pretty easy. Whooo ahh! Thats good fish. Thanx for talkin the land locked Coloradan through it!
[The first time the board nearly caught on fire!]

Don't Know How To Cook, But I Love Grilled Salmon!

Originally Posted by drcustom

35 mins for a salmon filet? That is WAY too much time at any heat...For a nice fillet cooked medium (say at 1 to 1.5 inch thick) shouldn't be more than 8 to 10 minutes...Get the grill super hot but set the plank off the direct heat...BTW, the bourbon/syrup makes for a an awesome marinade...thanks for the tip.

Direct on the grill - I agree - but I've been referring to "Cedar Planked " salmon. 30 to 40 minutes is ideal...

35 mins for a salmon filet? That is WAY too much time at any heat...For a nice fillet cooked medium (say at 1 to 1.5 inch thick) shouldn't be more than 8 to 10 minutes...Get the grill super hot but set the plank off the direct heat...BTW, the bourbon/syrup makes for a an awesome marinade...thanks for the tip.

Thinking about Spott's bad tasting salmon---I did forget to ask him.

Jack, you did remember to scrape the paint off of the cedar plank, first, didn't ya??????

Originally Posted by spotts

I tried the Maple Salmon over a cedar plank this weekend. It sucked. I bet I burned it. One of the posts says cook it 30-40 minutes, I gave it 35 at 300° or so. It was just horrible.

My experience is more in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes - thawed or 20-25 minutes - frozen

my grill set at the medium setting.

Spotts, I think the combo of maple and cedar could have done it too.
Cedar planked salmon is best done with a white wine, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest type of marinade. Soak the plank for minimum an hour. Throw it on the BBQ indirect/high for 30 to 40 minutes. I've done it like that for years and never missed.

The maple marinade I do in a smoker. Temp no greater than 165'F. Check it after a couple hours. Look for an internal temp of 135'F.

Always remember, better to under cook a bit because once the salmon is removed from the grill or smoker it continues to cook for a few minutes.

Originally Posted by spotts

I tried the Maple Salmon over a cedar plank this weekend. It sucked. I bet I burned it. One of the posts says cook it 30-40 minutes, I gave it 35 at 300° or so. It was just horrible.

Oh yeah----overcooked. I think it said to MARINADE it for 30 minutes. A Washington couple I met on a dive trip said that you cook salmon to med to med rare. Just like a beef steak.

Also. Did you use real maple syrup? I know you live in the wide open spaces but "Vermont Maid" crap is not real maple syrup. (not even close)

Originally Posted by spotts

I tried the Maple Salmon over a cedar plank this weekend. It sucked. I bet I burned it. One of the posts says cook it 30-40 minutes, I gave it 35 at 300° or so. It was just horrible.

Wow - That is nuking them. When I poach them at 170 it takes about 20 minutes

i would time a filet for 12 minutes undisturbed, then start checking it for flakeyness. I bet it would be done around 16 minutes or so.

I like my fish with much more subtle flavorings then some here, I still like to be able to enjoy the fish itself. A squeeze of lemon, drizzle of nice olive oil (or butter), salt and dill would be nice before roasting, and complement the tenderness of the filet. Make sure you scrape off all the dark flesh along with the skin before plating to serve.

I tried the Maple Salmon over a cedar plank this weekend. It sucked. I bet I burned it. One of the posts says cook it 30-40 minutes, I gave it 35 at 300° or so. It was just horrible.

Originally Posted by benncool

Try maple syrup on boiled carrots w/ a little butter. Also great on vanilla ice cream. Tips from Vermont.

Okay! I will! Sounds good!

Originally Posted by benncool

Got some salmon on Friday night. I did the maple syrup trick. Ummmm....... good. Everyone liked it.




About the middle of March the maple season starts around here. You don't see the buckets hanging from the trees very often anymore because must gatherers use a network of plastic tubes to collect the sap instead. But in flat areas you can still see this old way of taping.

It takes approx. 40 gal. of sap to make 1 gal of syrup.

Try maple syrup on boiled carrots w/ a little butter. Also great on vanilla ice cream. Tips from Vermont.

I lived for 20 years in Quebec. I think between Quebec and Vermont we supply 90% of the worlds Maple Syrup... according to my dentist anyway...

Got some salmon on Friday night. I did the maple syrup trick. Ummmm....... good. Everyone liked it.




About the middle of March the maple season starts around here. You don't see the buckets hanging from the trees very often anymore because must gatherers use a network of plastic tubes to collect the sap instead. But in flat areas you can still see this old way of taping.

It takes approx. 40 gal. of sap to make 1 gal of syrup.

Try maple syrup on boiled carrots w/ a little butter. Also great on vanilla ice cream. Tips from Vermont.

Originally Posted by Jettaknight

Maple syrup??? OH,YEAH!!!
Another variation I use is to cut the maple syrup with bourbon. Marinate the filets in the maple/bourbon overnight. Grill... or better yet smoke the filets over applewood! Reduce the marinate in a small saucepan and drizzle over the filets and serve at room temperature.

Hey!! Bourbon always works! Thanks for the suggestion!

Originally Posted by gruntly

Well, by george.

I just bought myself 4 chunkies of the atlantic pink stuff for no particular reason other than it was on sale last week. I am so glad I looked here first before I decided to wing-it.

Some of these recipes seem to come straight out of "Flavouresque Writing". My taste buds are singing as I type

Just remember...don't overcook it.