Cedar-Planked Salmon with Green Sauce
For my inaugural blog I want to share with you a recipe that I’ve been making for years but only recently paired with our 2018 Pinot Noir: Cedar-Planked Salmon with Green Sauce. The subtle smoky notes from the cedar plank complements the cedar and smoked meat notes of the wine, and the Green Sauce provides a bright counterpoint to the fattiness of the salmon.
Discovering a great wine is a wonderful thing. Finding the perfect food pairing that complements that wine is sublime. When the two work together the result can be a beautiful dance, with each partner highlighting the strengths of the other. Like the Captain and Tennille, or Sonny and Cher.
-According to Me.
Cedar-Planked Salmon with Green Sauce
Note: this recipe calls for grilling with indirect high heat. For charcoal grills, build your fire on one side of the grill and when the coals are ready spread them out keeping them on one side, and place the cedar-planked salmon on the cool side. For a gas grill, start your grill with all burners on high to get the grill up to temperature. Then turn off either the middle burners or the burners on one side. Place the cedar-planked salmon over the extinguished burners.
Ingredients
For the salmon
1 untreated cedar plank
1 salmon fillet, skin on, 2.5-3 pounds
¼ cup white wine
Zest of 1 lemon
Olive oil (for brushing)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the green sauce
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves (for less bite, substitute roasted garlic)
¾ tsp kosher salt
To make the green sauce:
In a blender or food processor, puree all ingredients until smooth. Add additional water or a touch of olive oil as necessary to reach desired consistency.
To make the salmon:
Place the plank on a rimmed cookie sheet and add enough water to immerse the plank for 1 hour or longer. Use a couple of large jars or cans to hold the plank down.
Pour off the water, leaving the plank on the cookie sheet for easy transport. Add the salmon fillet, skin side down. Remove pin bones if necessary. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place the salmon and plank on the cool side of the grill and cook indirectly over high heat until opaque in the thickest part. Caution: pay close attention here. Depending on the thickness of your fillet (e.g., farm raised vs wild caught) the fish can go from raw to overcooked very quickly, e.g., as short as 10 minutes. Also, the fish will continue to cook a bit after it comes off the grill. I try to pull the fish off while it’s still somewhat translucent. So, grab a fresh beer or refill that wine glass right after you first put the fish on and then stick close to the grill.
To serve:
Serve warm or at room temperature. Portion salmon onto plates, leaving skin behind. Place a dollop of green sauce on each piece, with additional sauce at the table. Serve with 2018 North Bar Cellars Pinot Noir.
Serves 8-10.