Salmon is one of those types of fish that can be prepared in so many ways, it’s quite possibly the perfect fish. My favorite way of preparing it is grilled so the skin is nice and crispy and the flesh of the fish has a beautiful caramelized finish when it’s done.

Soaking a cedar plank and grilling the fish directly on the plank over the heat is even better. Serve it along with some black rice and grilled asparagus and it really pops on a plate.  In fact, this was our Valentine’s Day dinner this year and yes, my husband grilled in the snow!

Ingredients:
Fresh salmon fillet with skin
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Cedar plank, immersed in water for a minimum of 1 hour

Directions:

1. Fire up the grill. I prefer a charcoal grill, while my husband prefers the gas grill. Either option works well for this recipe. For the charcoal grill, place the grate to medium height above the coals. For the gas grill, heat the grill to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the cedar plank from the water and place it on a transfer tray (i.e. whatever you’ll be using to carry your planked salmon filet to the grill).
3. Lay the salmon filet skin side down on top of the cedar plank, drizzle with the olive oil and season the salmon with the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
4. Place the planked salmon on the grill and cook for about 15 minutes or until the edges of the plank are glowing and the salmon ‘sizzles’ on the board. Take care not to let the board catch on fire so have a squirt bottle or bottle of water nearby to tame the flames.
5. To serve, cut the salmon into serving sizes directly on the board. Enjoy!