My Chef-Husband Taught Me the Easiest Way to Make the Best-Ever Grilled Salmon and Now I Want It Every Night This Summer
Best grilled salmon
On a recent shopping trip to Whole Foods with my chef-husband Luke, I spied a pack of cedar grilling planks by the fish counter and tossed them in our cart. I'm guilty of pinning every perfectly glazed, sweet, and smoky cedar plank salmon recipe whenever I see one floating around Pinterest and realized we have yet to make the dish at home.
"Can we do cedar-plank salmon this week?" I asked Luke, knowing full well I've hint requested this dish multiple times in the past but he's never really jumped on board (pun intended!)—until now. Luke was all in, telling me he recently had the best cedar plan salmon at his friend Billy Grant's restaurant Bricco, in West Hartford, CT.
After one call to Chef Billy, we were in business with his mustard BBQ marinade recipe, tweaked ever so slightly by my chef-husband. Here's what happened when I followed Luke into the kitchen (and then out to the grill) to watch him make this incredible dish that's way easier than it looks.
Related: My Chef-Husband Made Me the World's Best Breakfast Sandwich and My Mornings Are Forever Changed
What Do You Need For Cedar-Plank Salmon?
Courtesy of Whole Foods
First things first: you need cedar planks. We picked up a 2-pack at our local Whole Foods for $16 bucks but you can also buy them in bulk online. After that, you'll need salmon of course. Luke used Ora king salmon (the largest, fattiest salmon in the world, known for having the best flavor) but go with what you can find at your local market.
Then it's all about the marinade ingredients. Chef Billy uses two kinds of mustard in his marinade (Dijon and whole grain), plus soy sauce and garlic. Luke grabbed a couple of lemons, too. Easy peasy and probably things you already have in your kitchen.
Related: The Best Way to Make a BLT According to My Chef-Husband
How to Cook Cedar Plank Salmon
Soak the planks. Dry planks over an open flame equal a fire hazard but pre-soaking them prevents your salmon (and the planks) from going up in flames. The soaked planks also help keep the fish moist. Put the planks in a shallow bowl filled with water, then place something heavy on top so they stay submerged. Let them soak for about an hour.
Make the marinade. After consulting with Chef Billy, Luke whisked Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, soy sauce and some minced garlic in a bowl. Although I didn't see him measure anything (chefs have the magic talent of eyeballing everything), it looked like equal parts mustard and soy sauce. For the garlic, a couple of cloves work for each piece of salmon but if you're a true garlic girlie, you can always add more.
Marinate the fish. After the marinade was evenly mixed, in went the salmon went to soak up all that sweet, spicy, umami-packed goodness for 4-6 hours in the fridge.
Plank it up. Once the fish was properly marinated, it was time to plank. He placed 3 small salmon filets on a single plank and brushed on more marinade, then he arranged 3 thin lemon slices on top of each filet for a citrusy note.
Preheat the grill. Luke's #1 grilling tip is always pre-heat your grill because, as he tells me, throwing meat or fish on a cold grill can make it stick to the grates, plus everything cooks better over a hot grill. One of the other great things about cedar-plank salmon is that because it cooks on the plank instead of on the grates, you don't have to worry about the fish sticking, but a pre-heated grill is still the best plan for this recipe.
Grill it up. After preheating the grill over high heat until the thermostat reached 450°, he added the planks and closed the lid. He opened the grill to check on them every 5 minutes or so, until the salmon was cooked through, which took 15-18 minutes. (Pro tip: The edges of your planks will be charred at this point, which is when you know the fish is ready).
My Honest Thoughts on My Chef-Husband's Cedar Plank Salmon
"Can you make this at least once a week?" was the first thing out of my mouth after one bite. It's seriously the best.salmon.ever. I live for glazed fish dishes like black miso cod so I already knew I would be obsessed with cedar plank salmon.
The planks gave the fish a strong smoky taste that was insanely delicious with the mustard-soy marinade and honestly, it's way more fun to eat food off a charred wooden plank than a plate. Keep that in mind when planning your Memorial Day menu, friends. Anyone can toss burgers on the grill, but this chefy cedar plank salmon takes your grilling game to the next level and is way easier than it looks.
Luke served the fish with a side of jasmine rice and grilled asparagus, plus morel mushrooms that he skewered and roasted in garlicky parsley butter alongside the planks for the easiest, tastiest weeknight meal. 10/10, no notes!
Courtesy of Kelli Venner
Top Tips for Making the Best Cedar Plank Salmon
1. Use a restaurant-grade soy sauce. Luke takes his soy sauce seriously and loves Haku Mizunara Whisky Barrel Aged Shoyu and Momofuku's Soy Sauce by Chef David Chang since they impart the most umami flavor. However, he says to swap the sweet soy sauce for GF tamari or coconut aminos if you want to make a gluten-free version of this recipe.
2. Don't season the fish. It will be sufficiently seasoned from the salty-sweet nature of the marinade he tells me, saying you don't need to S&P your salmon beforehand or it could run the risk of being too salty.
3. Don't touch the salmon once it's planking. Although you can move the planks around on your grill so they don't catch fire, he says the salmon doesn't need to be flipped or touched once it's on the planks. It just roasts right on there in the marinade juices.
4. Portion your salmon for your planks. Luke used 1 plank for 3 small-sized salmon filets, but you could buy an extra-large plank if you plan on smoking a side of salmon.
Next: 17 Grilled Salmon Recipes You'll Want to Eat All Summer Long
