A summertime ritual for many backyard barbecue enthusiasts is plank grilling. Plank grilling is simply the method of cooking fish, poultry or other meat on top of a slab of wood over direct heat. As the wood begins to char and smolder, it gives off a smoky rich flavor and scent to the meat sitting on top. This cooking method has been a long time fish cooking practice started by Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest.
Just about any backyard barbecue novice learns how to plank grill fish. The process all begins with searching for that perfect piece of wood to serve as the plank. Grilling planks are usually sold at just about any cooking supply store and can be quite expensive depending on the store, type of wood and quantity. Another location to find grilling planks is the grilling equipment aisle at most home improvement centers such as Lowes, Home Depot, or Menards. Many people will cut costs and try and purchase their planks from the lumber section of these stores. A word of caution here. Do not consider using lumber cuts as this can contaminate your food if the lumber is chemically treated. Yes, lumber yards will sell untreated wood that could be used for planking, but one never really knows the origin of the wood and the production process involved. Personally, I would stick with those woods sold specifically for planking.
There are some ideal woods one should consider when planking fish. The most commonly sold planks include cedar, alder, hickory, and the fruit woods such as apple and cherry. I have tried cedar and apple and have had outstanding results with the flavor and rich aroma produced by these two woods. Avoid softer woods such as pine that have a tendency to produce resins when heated and will succumb to breaking apart very easily.
One of the most common fish used for planking is salmon. Any salmon will do whether it is wild, farm raised, or from caught from faraway waters. This species of fish has a richer content of oil and is thick which makes it a great candidate for plank cooking. Other fish that can be plank cooked and tastes extremely good include halibut and mahi mahi. Fresh water fish such as trout can also be planked however the cooking time will decrease as the filets are thinner than Salmon and Halibut.
Process of Plank Grilling
The process to plank grill fish is easy. Simply soak the plank under water for about an hour. Keeping the board submerged in water will require a stone or brick on top. Place the wet board on a preheated grill and heat for five minutes. While this board is heating up, now is the time to apply a thin coating of olive oil and seasonings to your fish. Place the fish on the hot board and turn heat down to medium or move over to slightly cooler part of grate if cooking over charcoal. Cover grill and the fish will be down in about twenty five minutes. During this cooking process it is important to keep watch for fire or intense flames to avoid burning. If the wood catches fire simply spray a small amount of water to extinguish. This fish will be done at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
