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Epicurious

Cedar-Plank Salmon

4.6

(91)

Cedar plank salmon on a white oval serving plate surrounded by lemon wedges.
Cooked salmon coated with mustard, honey, rosemary, and zest mixture on grilling plankPhoto by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

The salmon takes on a light, smoky woodiness from grilling on a cedar plank, for a lovely pairing of earth and ocean.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    2 1/2 hr

  • Yield

    Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons mild honey or pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 (2-pounds) salmon fillet with skin (1 1/2 inches thick)
Equipment: a cedar grilling plank (about 15 by 6 inches)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Soak cedar grilling plank in water to cover 2 hours, keeping it immersed.

    Step 2

    Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure . Open vents on bottom and lid of charcoal grill.

    Step 3

    Stir together mustard, honey, rosemary, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Spread mixture on flesh side of salmon and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

    Step 4

    Put salmon on plank, skin side down (if salmon is too wide for plank, fold in thinner side to fit). Grill, covered with lid, until salmon is just cooked through and edges are browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Let salmon stand on plank 5 minutes before serving.



    Editor’s Note: This recipe was first published in the August 2009 issue of ‘Gourmet.’

Cooks' Note

Salmon can be grilled without plank over indirect heat (see Grilling Procedure ) 8 to 15 minutes.

TagsSalmonFishSeafoodLemonCitrusFruitMainDinnerDairy FreeGluten FreeNut Free5 Ingredients or FewerGrillingMemorial DayGourmet
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Reviews (91)

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  • This is so delicious with very little effort! I like it best with pure maple syrup vs the honey. I also microplane a clove of garlic in as well. It’s great in the oven (with or without) the cedar plank, too.

    • Beth

    • 7/11/2022

  • After vacationing in Alaska and enjoying fresh salmon that was always grilled on a cedar plank, I was hooked. The cedar plank imparts a delicious flavor to salmon! When I got home, I searched for recipes and tried this first. This recipe is wonderful.The only thing I change is that after grating two lemons to get the zest, I thinly slice the lemons and put the slices on top of the mixture that was spread on the salmon before grilling. The lemons add flavor, look beautiful and the grill cooks them such that they are not so tart. You can also eat the lemons or discard them if you wish.

    • Anonymous

    • Davis, CA

    • 4/29/2022

  • This is fantastic. was looking for something new to make for dinner as I sometimes do. Saw the Salmon on Planks at ,my local store and looked for a recipe. As luck would have it this one caught my eye. It is awesome I have already printed this recipe to include in my home cookbook. I WILL be making this again soon.

    • RJfromNC

    • Raleigh NC

    • 6/15/2021

  • I made this last night on our grill and without the plank but it was really delicious! I served it with green beans cooked in a white wine butter shallot sauce. I also grilled two half lemons until lightly charred and squeezed them over both beans and salmon. Really, really good!! Definitely will make it again.

    • lo4

    • Oregon

    • 2/9/2021

  • I use the mustard layer often on chicken and beef and combine with soy sauce and lemon. This was nice change. For those who enjoy the cedar plank. This site has another recipe of cedar plank maple glazed salmon that is fantastic as well. You can reserve some of the glaze for shrimp on cedar plank, scallops.

    • kathleengrant

    • Flanders, NJ

    • 5/24/2020

  • Soooo good!! Already made it several times. It’s so easy to prepare, doesn’t need countless ingredients and tastes amazing. My favorite way to make salmon.

    • ninaschulz_u

    • Velten, Brandenburg, Germany

    • 4/7/2020

  • Finally a way to cook salmon on my gas Weber without having it stick. Now that I've discovered the cedar plank method I will never go back to throwing the fish directly on the grate. The flavor from the plank is subtle, not overpowering, and the presentation is pretty.

    • lwgilbert

    • Petaluma, CA

    • 10/20/2019

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