Whoever first decided to cook a fish on cedar wood is my hero!
I could sing the praises of cedar planks all day long. Grilling a fish like salmon atop this wood is one of the easiest techniques to infuse the fish with a lovely smoky flavor, while keeping it nice and tender on the inside.
When it comes to salmon, Kvaroy Arctic is my go-to.
You can find this sustainably farmed fish year-round and it checks ALL of the boxes:
✓ American Heart Association Certified
✓ No hormones, antibiotics, or artificial colorants
✓ Raised with love and care by the Olsen family in the Arctic Circle — they’ve been raising their fish for 3 generations!
This recipe also works year-round. Whether it’s spring or fall, I love firing the salmon over a warm grill and then juxtaposing it with a cool salad.
This time around, I chose to make a roasted beet salad with feta that can be prepared ahead of time and served at room temperature, which means you can bust this recipe out during a weeknight if you have the salmon in your fridge or freezer “Sea Pantry”!
Serves 4
- 1 Kvaroy Arctic salmon fillet (with skin), 2½ to 3 pounds and about ¾ inch thick, pin bones removed, trimmed to fit the cedar plank
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Roasted Beet Salad (recipe to follow)
- Soak the cedar plank in water for at least 1 hour.
- Season the salmon with a rub of olive, salt, and pepper. Remove the soaked plank from the water and place it on the cooking grate over direct heat. Close the lid. After 5 to 10 minutes, when the plank begins to smoke and char, turn the plank over, and place it over indirect high heat.
- Put the salmon on the plank (skin side down) and cook with the lid closed until the salmon is just opaque in the center and begins to brown slightly around the edges—about 25 to 35 minutes. Cooking time will vary according to the thickness of the fillet. Transfer the plank with the salmon to a heat-proof surface. Serve warm or at room temperature on a platter with vegetables or salad.
For the Salad:
- 2 medium golden beets with leafy tops, each about 2½ inches in diameter
- 2 medium red beets with leafy tops, each about 2½ inches in diameter
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1 medium orange, zested, peeled and cut into sections
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
- Scrub the beets under cold water, pat dry, and then lightly brush with oil. Wrap tightly in foil and grill or roast the beets over medium heat, with the lid closed, until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 1 to 1½ hours depending on their size, turning once. Remove from the grill and let stand until cool enough to handle. Trim the ends from the beets and discard. Rub off the skins. Cut the beets into ¼- to ½-inch slices and place the red and golden ones in separate bowls (to keep the red beets from dying the golden beets red).
- In a small bowl, add the reserved orange zest and the remaining dressing ingredients to the orange sections. Gently stir to combine.
- Lightly brush the onion slices with some of the dressing and grill over direct heat, with the lid closed until tender, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly, and then separate into rings.
- Rinse the reserved leafy tops of the beets under cold water. Add half of the dressing and toss. Drizzle with the dressing and toss with the feta and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Want to keep the grill going? Fire up these Cajun Shrimp with Grilled Corn and Cumin Butter!