For my mother's birthday, I decided to go all out. (Sorry about the backtrack, but I have old pictures piling up and I need to get them posted!)
I was over at my friend Marc's place in Pointe-Claire and he made us the most delicious salmon on some cedar planks. It is apparently the only way he can get his wife to eat fish! And for Marc, a good maritime boy - good fish is a must. As such, I gave him a call, got the basic recipe and gave it a shot. The result was an impressive cut of fish, a sweet and sour marinade and some great grilling.
Marc Creamer's Cedar Plank Salmon:
1 plank of cedar (Marc actually buys his own 6' piece and cuts it up into smaller ones) 1 large fillet of Salmon
Maple syrup
Soya sauce
Crushed garlic
Soak the cedar in water for at least an hour, more if you have time, this will keep the wood from simply burning on the grill and it will help steam the fish with that delicious cedar taste. Make the marinade and put the fillet in the marinade and in the fridge for at least the afternoon. Put the fillet on the plank skin side down, cook on MED-LOW for about 10-20 minutes - fish does not take very long to cook and almost no heat. The time is based on the thickness, but keep an eye on it and as soon as the top is flaky (check it with a fork) remove from the heat. If it is still a litlle uncooked in the middle, that's ok! Good fish can be eaten raw and it will still be scrumptuous.
Slide a spatula between the skin, the fat and the fillet itself to serve.
The final product - Grilled potatoes, beans with roasted almonds and Marc's cedar plank salmon!
1 large fillet of Salmon
