Cedar Plank Teriyaki Salmon – Recipe!

Using a Cedar Plank to grill fish is a good idea, especially if you don’t have much experience flipping seafood around on a grill. Grilling fish can sometimes be much more difficult than meat because fish is flaky and tender, and often sticks to the grates. Wood Planks offer more than just ease of cooking, they also provide a smokiness to the fish because it slightly burns underneath the seafood while it cooks.

Soaking Cedar Planks first is essential before cooking. The water neutralizes the wood, so it doesn’t catch on fire and your fish doesn’t engulf in flames, but slowly cooks. Planks of all sorts are available online or at barbecue stores, I have even seen them available at my local grocery store.

Teriyaki is a Japanese sauce that seems to be enjoyed by so many people, but making homemade is even better. The base of the sauce is soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh ginger and tons of water. The entire sticky situation can be made in minutes, and this recipes creates enough sauce to use over again, especially drizzled over sticky rice and vegetables.

These Teriyaki Salmon Filets are great to serve any day of the week because the preparation is simple, but nice enough to serve for a dinner party as well. I like to prepare a little steamed rice alongside with some fresh greens for a contrast of flavors and textures.

Ingredients

1-2 cedar planks, soaked in water for at least 2 hours

3-6 salmon filets

cilantro leaves for garnish, optional

salt

Teriyaki Sauce

1 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

(Serves 3-6)

To Prepare:

Preheat half or two-thirds of grill to 400 degrees, leaving remaining area on low heat. Remove planks from water and set aside.
Place salmon on boards and sprinkle with salt, set aside.
In a small saucepan, add 1 cup water, brown sugar, honey, garlic and ginger and place over medium heat. In a separate bowl, add cornstarch and water, whisk with fork. When sauce is simmering, add cornstarch mixture and whisk until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Place planks with salmon on top over low heat side of grill. Cook for 2 minutes, then spread with sauce. Repeat every 3 minutes, three times. Remove planks from grill and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve salmon immediately. Enjoy!