Fish On A Plank Food

FISH ON A PLANK

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the mangos, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro and jalapeno pepper. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and lime juice. Stir together then cover and refrigerate until serving to blend the flavors.
• Soak the plank in water for at least 2 hours, longer if possible. Place the mahi mahi fillets in a shallow dish and coat with teriyaki sauce. Cover, and marinate for at least 1 hour.
• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using charcoal, arrange and light coals under one half of the grill. Sprinkle lemon juice over the fish fillets and season with chipotle seasoning, red pepper flakes and hot pepper sauce. Place the fillets on the plank.
• Place the plank on the grill over direct heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Move the plank with the fish over to indirect heat (the cooler part of the grill), cover and cook for 10 more minutes or until fish can be flaked with a fork. Top fillets with mango salsa and serve hot.

FISH GRILLED ON CEDAR PLANK

Steps:

• Soak the cedar plank in salted water for 2 hours, then drain. Remove the skin and any remaining bones from the salmon fillet. Rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Lay the salmon on the cedar plank and carefully spread the mustard over the top and sides. Place the brown sugar in a bowl and crumble between fingers, then sprinkle over the mustard. Set grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high. Place the cedar plank in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook until cooked through, around 20 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature should read 135 degrees F. Transfer the salmon and plank to a platter and serve right off the plank.

BBQ PLANK SALMON

Steps:

• Seriously, read this thoroughly first. Cooking planks is a fire hazard if handled carelessly. Your home is not worth the best salmon you'll ever have. Almost, though. Also important, farm raised salmon has been consistently found to be the MOST TOXIC meat produced for consumption. Don't trust me, Google it! This makes preserving wild salmon runs that much more important.
• An hour and a half prior to cooking soak your plank in water for at least 45 minutes. hot water's best. This is important to keep it from catching fire in the BBQ.
• After soaked, place rinsed salmon on plank skin down. No flesh should be hanging off the edges, this makes picking a fillet's size really important because it is easier to pick the size of fillet than find or cut a plank to fit the fish. I use planks packaged and marked for this. Don't waste your time with cedar BBQ envelopes/pockets. These products are crap.
• Again, with the skin down, spread your mustard over the pink flesh to cover but not to smother.
• Sprinkle paprika or cayenne pepper on fillet to your taste preference.
• Let rest until cooking time. Meanwhile, prepare BBQ to a high heat and get together the tools/instruments you are going to use to remove the burnt plank from the grill. Keep these close by and ready. Also, consider where are you going to let the plank with an underside covered in red hot embers rest? Think this through thoroughly!
• You're going to lay the plank directly on the grill to cook the fish. As the damp wood starts to burn it will smoke the fish. It creates a lot of smoke, so BBQ placement might have to be evaluated.
• When your grill is ready place planked fish on grill and cover. Vent the BBQ medium, you want to retain as much smoke around the fish, but not suffocate your heat source. Cooking takes about 10 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillet. If you know how to test steak for rareness, the fillet should feel medium. Remember to let the meat rest and allow for it to finish cooking off the grill, so pulling it a little early is a good thing.
• Now, removing the plank is serious business! ITS UNDERSIDE WILL BE BURNING RED HOT AND WILL CATCH OTHER WOOD ON FIRE IF YOU LET THEM STAY IN CONTACT! I use a heavy duty spatula to support one end and a strong pair of cooking tongs that allow me to really grip the plank tightly for the other end. Your goal is to find something that will hold the plank so tightly WITHOUT DAMAGING FISH that you can hold it with one hand if necessary, and it will likely be necessary. Let the meat rest 5 minutes before serving. I put mine on the hot-plate burner cover of my gas grill. Its metal, making it safe.
• Alternatively, you do not need to use mustard for a good plank salmon. It's better with it, even on premium king fillets. It just is. And, cedar planks are likely easier to find. I have used a 1X9X2' of cedar I bought at a local hardware store to cook this recipe and it worked beautifully. the guys at the store assured me that the processing of the wood did not include toxic chemicals.

WHOLE FISH COOKED ON A WOOD PLANK

Steps:

• PLANK: Have the local lumber company cut a piece of oak, pecan, or cedar 8 inches wide and 20 inches long. Be sure to measure your hearth height and width before cutting the plank. Oil the plank thoroughly with olive oil, rubbing well into the pores of the wood.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes (with a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch anything that may drip).
• Remove and allow to cool. Build a roaring fire in your fireplace (or fire pit) using 4 to 5 pieces of firewood in order to achieve a large coal bed. Remember that you cook on reflective heat in a fireplace, not the fire itself, so coals are important. Once a coal bed has been established, keep 1 log burning on the back of the fireplace to sustain the coals.
• PREP FISH: Completely scale the fish, leaving the head and tail intact. Remove the gills and rinse the inside cavity. Using a sharp paring knife, cut 3 slits on each side of the fish to the bone.
• Rub the fish with olive oil and season inside and out with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Place chopped herbs in a small mixing bowl and blend thoroughly. Rub herb mixture in each of the 6 slits and on the outside of the fish. Fill the belly cavity with whole mixed herbs.
• Using heavy butcher's twine, tie the fish to the board in a criss-cross fashion and tie a knot underneath the board to secure it. The twine will guarantee that the fish stays in place and flat against the board during the baking process.
• Using a fireplace shovel, remove the hot coals from the right or left side of the fireplace approximately 1 foot from the edge. Place the fish head-side up against the side of the fireplace Or lean it almost vertical on a rock inside the fire-pit. Be careful that the plank does not get near an open flame, as the board will ignite.
• Turn the fish every 30 minutes, first head up and then tail up. The fish will need to cook about 1 hour, depending on heat. Test the flesh for doneness with a kitchen fork. The underside of the fish will cook at the same rate since the plank is picking up the heat of the hearth. Remove from fire and serve on the plank for a unique presentation.
• CONVENTIONAL OVEN METHOD: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Cure the plank as described above and then follow seasoning instructions for fish. Place the fish lengthwise on the hot plank and place a cookie sheet on the lower rack underneath to catch any drippings that may run off during cooking. Bake on the center rack of the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until fish is flaky. There is no need to turn the fish during the cooking process. Remove and serve on the plank for a unique presentation.