Thursday, March 29, 2012

Grilled Blackened Cedar Plank Salmon


Did you know dinner could be so easy?  Coating a beautiful piece of salmon with blackening spice and throwing it on the grill takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and tastes out of this world delish,  if you are a salmon fan that is.  And even if you are not, you might be convinced to convert.  Blackening spice gives the salmon tons of flavors and grilling it on a cedar plank  imparts even more smoky woodsy flavor.


I've always been a huge fan of grilling because it adds so much flavor with very little mess. When I lived in NY, I grilled 3-4 times a week, even in the winter.  Lighting a gas grill is just as easy as turning on the stove and while you do have to step outside into the cold for a few minutes, not having to clean pots and pans was so worth it to me.  When I bought my condo, I wasn't allowed to have a grill because my patio was enclosed.  Now, with the opportunity to grill in front of me again, Tess is one of the first things I purchased.  Isn't she lovely?


I've had Tess (because all grills need names) for just a couple of weeks and I'm pretty sure I've grilled at least every other day. I love Tess, even more than, get this......my other KitchenAid, the beast that sits in the kitchen. I know that seems wrong to so many and I do actually feel a little guilt over it.

I opted for the two burner grill because I am one person and the grill is supposed to be big enough to grill 28 hamburgers.  Who needs to grill 28 hamburgers except people with begging Boston Terriers?  If I had to do it again, I might go with the bigger one. While I may only need enough space for one hamburger for hamburger needing pups, it gets a little crowded when you try to throw veggies and protein and puppy treats all onto the same grill. 


So the salmon.  Easy peasy as soaking the untreated cedar wood for at least an hour (you can buy untreated wood at Home Depot for less but I find Crate and Barrel much less intimidating than Home Depot.)  You then rub the salmon with the blackening spice, throw it skin side down on the wet plank and throw it on a med-high grill for 12-15 mins or until the salmon is opaque and flaky. Have water bottle handy in case the plank dries out and wants to flare up.  Seriously, blackened salmon is good stuff and it's just as outstanding cold and thrown into a salad the next day.


With some grilled veggies (drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic flakes) you have an entire meal and no pans to clean.  Love, love, love that.



Grilled Blackened Cedar Plank Salmon

Blackening Spice:
2 tsp dried basil crushed fine
1 tsp dried thyme crushed fine
1 tsp dried oregano crushed fine
2 tbsp garlic power
2 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsps cayenne pepper
Mix together and store in small spice jar

For Salmon: 
1 1lb salmon fillet
blackening spice
cedar plank soaked in water for at least 1 hour
Directions
Heat grill to medium high
Place the plank with salmon on the grill and cook, covered, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily, 12 to 15 minutes

14 comments:

Ellie said...

Tess is awesome! Makes me want to break out our grill soon! We don't grill in the winter but we do grill a lot in the summer and will definitely be trying to grill on a plank. I always see them and wonder and now you've convinced me!

Lila said...

OMG,I just bought one of those planks and was a bit intimidated at using it. You make it sound super duper easy though and looks so yummy! I have a blackening spice that I just buy and we love it on chicken and fish.

Lila said...

This looks so absolutely divine and my husband will especially love it. He's a salmon man to the core, even prefers it over steak. Go figure. I'm the griller in the family too so I think I'll be surprising him soon!

Lila said...

So glad that you are back to blogging. All your yummy (and usually healthy which I love) food makes me want to get in the kitchen more often! This looks so good!

Lila said...

I always get the blackened salmon salad when we go to our favorite local restaurant here in Fence Lake. I love the idea of making a bunch of this one night and then having it ready for work lunch throughout the week!

Lila said...

OH TESS IS SO BEAUTIFUL! WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT NEW BBQS FOR THIS YEAR TOO AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE HUBS TO FINALLY MAKE UP HIS MIND. HE'LL WANT SOMETHING MANLY, I'D TAKE A PINK BBQ IF THEY MADE IT! THIS RECIPE LOOKS SOOOOOO GOOD!

Bronwyn said...

this looks not only tasty but so elegant and fancy. I bet my dinner guests would think I"m pretty rock star if I made this and served it!

Lila said...

I bought a wood plank from Williams Sonoma years ago and still haven't tried it. I assumed it involved hours of smoking. Hows that for knowing what I"m buying? I'm going to pull it out this weekend and give it a go!

Lila said...

Oh, yummy yummy! This does look so difficult and cool and yet sounds so easy! My mother in law might even be impressed, but I doubt it.

Lila said...

I made a blackened salmon tonight straight on the grill using your blackening spice recipe and it was awesome! The cedar plank scares me a little because I'm a little accident prone so I can see it going up in flames. :)

Lila said...

ohhlala! This looks fancy yet easy at the same time. Definitely going to try it as we are big fans of smoky flavors!

Lila said...

Love blackened salmon. So glad summer is almost here, I could grill every night too! I love your grill!

Bonjour! said...

,,,love me some salmon, grilled brussel sprouts and zucchini it's perfection! do i have a "rub" i'm certain you will enjoy. do you have a POBox?,,,we need a new grill, right now we just use "wolf" (wolf range) for grilling BUT it's not the same, the grill should be outdoors! tell me how much you like "tess"?,,,

Lila said...

This looks absolutely awesome! I buy blackening spice but this might convince me to try it myself. Yum, yum!