Doug Green

Whenever people come over to the house, I typically barbecue salmon and chicken and brats (I used to do pork too, but stopped that about ten years ago). I have a very good reputation for this, most people ask me how I do it. IMHO, it's better than almost any restaurant I've tried.

You need a gas grill, which will provide consistent heat... I wouldn't try this with charcoal. Here are the full instructions:

Buy the following:

• a cedar plank from the grocery store. You might also find them at places like Tuesday Morning or Target. Cedar planks come in packages of two or three for about $2 per plank. Make sure you get ones that are big enough to hold a full piece of Salmon, about fifteen inches long; I've accidentally bought the shorter 1 foot planks before, and they aren't long enough for me in most cases.
• fresh salmon. I like the full pieces (head's cut off obviously, but I'm talking about something about 12-15 inches long). Some people like wild salmon over farm raised. I get whatever is on sale, usually about $10 per pound.
• a clear thick dressing for marinade. I prefer sweet Vidalia Onion, but others work. Last night I used whatever was in the fridge
• fresh capers, I also use the capers in the bottle, but fresh ones are better

Instructions:

• About an hour before you plan on cooking, put the salmon in a clear dish,
• pour salad dressing marinade on top making sure that it completely covers the salmon,
• cover with saran wrap and refrigerate,
• About thirty minutes before you plan on cooking, stop up the sink, put a cedar plank in the sink, weight the plan down with something like a 2liter bottle of soda (just so it doesn't float), and fill the sink with enough water to cover the plank. You want to fill the sink a little more than just to cover it (maybe a third to half way), because you're bound to leak a little water through your drain over a period a thirty minute period.
• About five minutes before you plan on cooking, light the grill, turn the heat up mid to high. If you're cooking only salmon, then you only need 1 or 2 of the burners on,
• Take the salmon out of the fridge and make sure you've got it completely covered in marinade (usually not a problem),
• Take the plank out of the sink, and put the salmon on the plank,
• Sprinkle capers ontop of the salmon,
• Turn your grill's heat down to low to medium,
• Put the cedar plank on the grill, I usually use the left burner, I don't know if it would cook differently if you used one of the center ones, so just use on of the burners on the end,
• Your cedar plank will burn, but you don't want it to flame. If it starts flaming, then you didn't soak it long enough, gently put out the flames with a little water,
• I want my salmon pink, but not raw, so cook for about twenty minutes, this time will definitely vary depending on your grill and your heat setting. Until you get good at the timing, you can cut it in half at the twenty minute mark, and take a peak inside.
• When done, I just take the entire plank and put it on a hot plate in the kitchen, be careful because the plank is most likely charring some, and then cut it up in the kitchen,
• You can remove the skin yourself, but I usually just warn my guests that the skin is still on the salmon,

Chicken recipe to follow later...