Hey, barbecue fans! Welcome to the first Barbecue Secrets video
podast. A couple of weeks ago I was a guest on Vancouver's Global
Morning News demonstrating plank cooking recipes from my new book,
Planking
Secrets. With the kind help of Sharron Bates of
Global I'm
re-broadcasting them on this podcast, and I'm posting the recipes
from each show here on the podcast blog. This is the first of five
segments.
Fred's Citrus Salmon with Sesame
Mayo
Serves 6 to 8
Brian Misko is an enthusiastic barbecuer who recently took the
plunge and started up a barbecue team, House of Q. Brian passed on
this recipe, which he has cooked time and again for his family. "It
was originally crafted after salmon fishing in Tofino with my
in-laws," he says. "I had never been fishing on the open
ocean before, nor had Fred Kraus, my father-in-law.
Nonetheless, a nice side of salmon was decorated for the grill with
whatever we had in the cabin." And they've cooked it that way ever
since. "Serve with a wonderful fruity white wine and a salad and
you have a nice west coast meal," says Brian.
1 alder or cedar cooking plank,
soaked overnight or at least 1 hour
1 orange
1 lime
1 lemon
1 tsp./5 mL grated zest from the three fruits (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pushed through a press
1/4 to 1/2 cup/50 to 125 mL olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole, boned fillet wild Pacific salmon (about 3 lb./1.5 kg),
skin on
Squeeze the juice from the three fruits into a nonreactive dish
like a lasagna pan. Reserve a few slices for garnish. Don't worry
about pulp or seeds in the marinade - it all adds flavor. Add
the zest, if desired, and the garlic and oil. The volume of
oil depends on how big your piece of salmon is. A larger one will
take a bit more oil. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour
over the salmon. Marinate for a minimum of 1 hour at room
temperature.
Preheat the grill on medium-high for 5 or 10 minutes or until the
chamber temperature rises above 500°F/260°C. Rinse the plank and
place it on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat the plank
for 4 or 5 minutes, or until it's starting to throw off a bit of
smoke and crackling lightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Remove the salmon from the marinade and season it with salt and
pepper. Place it on the plank and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or
until the fish has an internal temperature of 135°F/57°C. Halfway
through the cooking time, spoon some of the marinade on top of the
fish. When the salmon is done, serve it on the plank garnished with
extra citrus slices.
Sesame Mayo
This is the perfect dip for roasted
veggies, and it's also great tossed with rice noodles for a cool,
creamy side to grilled Asian-flavored meats. Sprinkle with toasted
sesame seeds for extra texture.
1 cup/250 mL mayonnaise
1 tsp./5 mL toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp./2 mL soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp./5 mL Chinese chili sauce or spicy Szechuan chili oil (or to
taste)
1 tsp./5 mL grated or finely chopped fresh lemon, lime or orange
rind
1 to 2 Tbsp./25 mL toasted sesame seeds (to taste)
Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Use immediately or refrigerate. If
you're using store bought mayo, it will keep for a week in the
fridge.
Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk is the author of
Planking Secrets: How to Grill with Wooden
Planks for Unbeatable Barbecue Flavor, and
Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips
& Tricks from a Barbecue Champion, published by Whitecap
Books. Find him, and more recipes, at
www.ronshewchuk.com.