Makes 4–6 servings

This unusual recipe from my friend Mike the fishmonger, which I’ve adapted for the plank, pairs the intense flavor of the spiced halibut with a cool tropical salsa. Substitute snapper for halibut for a stronger flavor. Cuban-style Black Beans and Rice go very well with this, so I’ve included the recipe at the bottom of this post.

For the fish:

1 plank (cedar or fruitwood), soaked overnight or at least 1 hour

four 6 oz | 175 g halibut fillets

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp | 5 mL ground cumin

1/2 tsp | 2 mL turmeric

pinch saffron threads, crumbled

pinch cayenne pepper

1 lime, cut in half

extra virgin olive oil

 

For the salsa:

1 batch Tropical Fruit Salsa (see recipe below)

 

Prepare the salsa and set it aside.

            Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Combine the cumin, turmeric, saffron, and cayenne in a bowl and sprinkle the rub lightly over the fillets. Squeeze the lime halves over the fillets and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Marinate the fish for 15 minutes.

            Preheat the grill on medium-high for 5–10 minutes, or until the chamber temperature rises above 500°F | 260°C. Rinse the soaked plank and place it on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat the plank for 4–5 minutes, or until it starts to throw off a bit of smoke and crackles lightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

            Place the fillets on the plank and cook the fish for 15–20 minutes, or until the fish has an internal temperature of 135°F | 57°C. Remove it from the grill and tent it lightly in foil. Let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes.

            Serve the fillets topped with a dollop of salsa.

 

Tropical Fruit Salsa

Makes about 3 cups | 750 mL

This perfect summer salsa is great on grilled fish or beef. No matter where or when you eat it, you’re instantly on a sunny vacation.

2 cups | 500 mL diced tropical fruit (any combination of mango, papaya, kiwi, pineapple)

2 just-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped

3 Tbsp | 45 mL chopped cilantro

3 Tbsp | 45 mL chopped red onion

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

2 tsp | 10 mL fresh lime juice

pinch sugar

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Let the salsa stand, covered, in the fridge for
about an hour.

Cuban-style Black Beans

Makes 6–8 servings

This dish, along with some white rice, is a great accompaniment to planked meats, particularly those with Southwestern and barbecue flavors. It also goes great with ham and eggs. 

1/4 cup | 50 mL olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp | 15 mL dried oregano

1 tsp | 5 mL ground cumin

two 19 oz | 540 mL cans black beans,

rinsed and drained

3/4 cup | 175 mL chicken stock or water

11/2 Tbsp | 20 mL cider vinegar

1 tsp | 5 mL sugar

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, oregano, and cumin, and sauté the mixture until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.

            Add about 1 cup | 250 mL of the beans and mash them with the back of a fork. Add the rest of the beans, the stock or water, and the vinegar. Simmer the beans, stirring them often, for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Stir in the sugar. Season the beans with salt and pepper and serve.

 

 

 

Makes 4 burgers

This recipe won the burger category at the Canadian National Barbecue Championship in Whistler, British Columbia, in the summer of 2003. More than a burger, it is the Atkins equivalent of a jelly doughnut (if you forego the bun). It’s a life-shaping experience that should probably be accompanied by some kind of parental guidance message. Be careful to whom you serve this—your guests may stalk you until you cook it for them again.

11/2 to 2 lb | 750 g to 1 kg of ground beef, 20 percent fat content

1/2 tsp | 2 mL freshly grated nutmeg

4 1/2-inch | 1 cm discs of frozen Mediterranean Herbed Butter (see following recipe)

1 Tbsp | 15 mL Dijon mustard

Your favorite barbecue rub

4 hamburger buns

extra softened Herbed Butter for the buns

granulated garlic

1/2 cup | 125 mL chèvre (a creamy white French-style

goat cheese), at room temperature

2 large roasted red bell peppers, torn into quarters

Caramelized Onions (see following recipe)

Combine the beef and nutmeg in a large nonreactive bowl. Mix together the spice and the meat lightly with your hands, being careful not to overwork it. Split the meat into 4 equal portions and roll it into balls. Poke your thumb in the middle of each ball to create a hole and insert a frozen disc of herbed butter. Encase the butter in the burger as you shape it into a classic burger shape about ¾-inch | 2 cm thick, ensuring that there are no openings where molten butter could run out. (It may be helpful to dip your hands periodically into cold water to prevent the meat from sticking to them.)

            Coat the burger patties lightly with the mustard and sprinkle them with a light coating of the rub. Preheat your grill to medium heat. Either spray the burgers with vegetable oil spray, or coat the grill with oil. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 4–5 minutes per side, or until the patties become firm, but not hard, to the touch.

            Remove the burgers from the grill, tent them with foil, and let them rest for 4–5 minutes. In the meantime, coat the buns with the softened herbed butter, sprinkle them with a little granulated garlic, and toast them for 30–60 seconds on your grill.

            Dress the burgers with a slather of goat cheese, a piece or two of roasted red pepper, and a dollop of caramelized onion. Inhale. (Note: Warn your guests that the burgers have a molten filling or they could be in for a shock! In any case, have plenty of napkins at the ready. These are very juicy burgers.)

Caramelized Onions

Makes about 1 cup | 250 mL

This makes a great topping for burgers but is also an excellent all-purpose condiment. Try it as an omelet filling or as a topping for grilled pork chops. Mix it with goat cheese and spread it on crackers for a tangy, sweet appetizer. It’s also a great topping on a planked round of brie.

2 Tbsp | 25 mL butter, olive oil, or a combination of both

4 medium onions, peeled and sliced into rings

1/2 tsp | 2 mL kosher salt

1 tsp | 5 mL sugar

1/2 tsp | 2 mL ground cinnamon

pinch cayenne

Heat the butter/olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and sauté them until they’re soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne and continue to sauté the onions, stirring them regularly, until they are shiny and brown, about 15 minutes, being careful not to burn them (add a little water, if necessary,  to prevent burning).

Mediterranean Butter

4 Tbsp | 50 mL finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

4 Tbsp | 50 mL finely chopped combination of fresh dill,

basil, or mint (or any combination of fresh herbs—try chervil,

tarragon, sage, rosemary, etc.)

1 lb | 500 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

kosher salt to taste

Cut the butter into cubes and place them in a food processor. Add the flavoring ingredients and whiz the mixture until it’s thoroughly blended, stopping to scrape down the stuff that sticks to the sides of the food processor as needed. If you’re serving the butter right away with corn, or on a piece of grilled meat, just place it in a small bowl and serve it.

            If you want to store it, use a spatula to transfer the butter onto a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a rough cylinder. Fold the wrap around the butter and shape it into an even tube about 11⁄2 inches | 4 cm in diameter. Twist the ends so the tube is sealed and tight, and fasten both ends with a twist-tie. Refrigerate or freeze the butter until you need it. To serve, slice off discs of it. Thaw it a while before dressing steaks or corn with it, or use it still frozen to stuff inside a burger.

Even though it's not much of a summer so far here in the West, and the growing season is extraordinarily late, we're getting into the best time of year for fresh fruit and veggies. Serve any or all of these great summer salads along whatever you've got coming off the grill, and even if you can't see the sun, you'll surely taste it!

Tomatoes in Paradise

Makes 4 servings

Two words: simple and sensational. 

3 Tbsp | 45 mL extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp | 15 mL lemon juice

1 tsp | 5 mL Dijon mustard

1 clove finely chopped or pressed garlic

1 Tbsp | 15 mL chopped fresh herbs (mint, basil, rosemary, etc.)

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 exceptional tomatoes, cut into quarters

1/2 cup | 125 mL chopped red onion

1 cup | 250 mL kalamata or other Mediterranean olives

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and herbs in a salad bowl. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the other ingredients and toss them together gently. Let the tomatoes stand for half an hour at room temperature, then serve.

 

Tidewater Coleslaw

Makes 8–10 servings

My dear friend and fellow Butt Shredder Kathy Richardier discovered this slaw many years ago and I have substituted my favorite toasted cumin seeds for the celery seeds in the original recipe. This pungent, high-sugar slaw is best as a condiment, piled high on top of a pulled pork sandwich or burger, or on the side of a few slices of barbecued brisket.

11/2 cups | 375 mL mayonnaise

1/2 cup | 125 mL white vinegar

1/3 cup | 75 mL white sugar

1 Tbsp | 15 mL toasted cumin seeds (cumin seeds are easy to toast - just toss them in a frying pan over medium heat for a minute, stirring or shaking constantly until the seeds just start to darken in color)

1 small head cabbage, finely shredded

2 carrots, peeled and finely grated

Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and cumin together in a bowl. Toss it with the cabbage and carrots and refrigerate it. You can make this slaw a few hours ahead of time. Toss it just before serving to redistribute the dressing.

 

Watermelon Salad

Makes 4 servings

This lovely summer salad, created by my friend Michele Allaire, is as refreshing as it sounds.

1/2 watermelon, rind removed and flesh cut into 1-inch | 2.5 cm chunks

1/2 lb | 250 g feta cheese, cut into small chunks

2 Tbsp | 30 mL lemon juice

3 Tbsp | 45 mL olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp| 15 mL finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

Place the watermelon chunks in a salad bowl. Add the feta cheese. In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, and a grinding of black pepper. Add the dressing and the chopped mint at the last minute, just before serving.

 

The Fire Chef’s BBQ Salmon on a Plank

Makes 4–6 servings

The late David Veljacic was the father of barbecue in Canada, founding the Canadian National Barbecue Championship in New Westminster back in 1988. David was a firefighter, hence his nickname, “The Fire Chef.” He was diagnosed with cancer several years before he succumbed to it in 2001, and while on medical leave he wrote cookbooks and taught barbecue and grilling to a generation of backyard cooks. This is his most famous recipe, adapted for the plank. 

For the marinade:

1/3 cup | 75 mL finely chopped parsley

3 Tbsp | 45 mL oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 Tbsp | 15 mL oil from the sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup | 75 mL extra virgin olive oil

For the salmon:

1 cedar, alder or hickory plank, soaked overnight

or at least 1 hour

one 21/2 lb | 1.2 kg boned salmon fillet,

skin on

1 tsp | 5 mL kosher salt

1 head roasted garlic (see recipe below), cloves squeezed out of their skins

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place the fillet in a nonreactive dish (a lasagna pan would do). Pour the marinade over the fillet. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

Score the salmon with 2 long slits along the length of the fillet. Don’t cut all the way through the fish. Mash the salt together with the roasted garlic and spread the mixture over the fillet and into the slits. Re-coat the fillet with the marinade after you’ve spread the garlic paste over it.

Preheat the grill on medium-high for 5–10 minutes, or until the chamber temperature rises above 500°F | 260°C. Rinse the soaked plank and place it on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat the plank for 4–5 minutes, or until it starts to throw off a bit of smoke and crackles lightly. Place the salmon on the plank and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook it for 15–20 minutes, or until the fish has an internal temperature of 135°F | 57°C. Remove the plank and the salmon from the grill and serve it.

Roasted Garlic

Here’s a great kitchen staple that works well baked in the oven or planked on the grill. Roasted garlic is as versatile as it is delicious. Use it as a flavor enhancer in mayo, an enricher of mashed potatoes, and a flavor note in soups and sauces—or just spread it on a piece of toasted French bread.

Preheat the oven to 350°F | 175°C (or preheat your grill in preparation for plank-cooking). With a sharp knife, slice off the top of a garlic bulb, just enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Drizzle it with a little olive oil, season it with salt and pepper, and wrap the bulb tightly in foil. Place it in the oven (or on a soaked, preheated? plank in your grill with the heat turned down to low), cut side up, and roast it for about an hour, or until the garlic is soft and lightly browned. Once it’s cool enough to handle, you can squeeze the head and the roasted garlic comes out like toothpaste.

  Cheater Ribs

(From Barbecue Secrets DELUXE!)

Makes 4 servings 

Die-hard barbecue people don’t even like to consider this technique, which goes against all the principles and values of barbecue culture. These ribs may not be smoky, and they may not be quite as flavorful as true barbecued ribs, but they’re wonderfully tender, they taste great, and they don’t take all day to cook.

 2 racks side or back ribs, trimmed by your butcher

1 medium onion, peeled and halved

1 tsp | 5 mL peppercorns

3 or 4 whole cloves

2 Tbsp | 25 mL prepared mustard

1/2 tsp | 2 mL granulated garlic

1/4 cup | 50 mL or so Championship Barbecue Rub

1 cup | 250 mL barbecue sauce, the sweeter and tangier the better

Remove the membrane from the ribs if your butcher hasn’t already done it for you. Fill a large pot with cold water and completely submerge the ribs in the water. Add the onion, peppercorns, and cloves. Bring the water just to a boil. With a spoon or ladle, quickly skim off the soapy scum that forms on the top of the water and reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer the ribs for about 11/4 hours, or until the rib bones start to protrude from the meat. Take the ribs out of the water and cool them on a cooking sheet until they are easy to handle.

            Prepare your grill for direct medium heat. Coat the ribs with mustard, sprinkle them lightly with the granulated garlic, and lightly coat them with the rub. Let them sit until the rub starts to glisten, about 10 minutes. Grill the ribs for 3–4 minutes on each side, applying barbecue sauce with a basting brush as you turn them. Cook them until the sauce is nicely caramelized and the ribs are lightly charred in a few places. Remove them from the grill, let them rest for a few minutes, cut them into single ribs or half racks, and serve them with classic barbecue accompaniments like corn on the cob, slaw, beans, etc.

Barbecue Secret

Pork rib membrane is slippery and frustrating to remove unless you use this technique: Separate a corner of the membrane from the rib cage with a sharp knife. Using a dry paper towel as a gripper, grab the loosened membrane and peel it off the ribs with steady pressure, reestablishing your grip as more membrane comes off. Once you have removed it, trim off any excess fat from the ribs, along with any remaining bits of membrane.

(Photo copyright John Sinal Photography, used with permission.)

with any remaining bits of membrane.