My mum is in town!!!
I had to start the post with that since, for the past year and a half, she has been living in Perth, Western Australia- a two day flight away (well, almost- but it seems like one really, really long day since you cross the international date line and time travel like Marty McFly).
It’s a short visit, but I love getting to spend time with her. In a week’s time she flies out yet again, this time to Helsinki, then Paris, then on to walk the legendary El Camino de Santiago– an ancient pilgrimage that stretches roughly 800 kilometres from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
Whether it’s trekking in Nepal, camping in the red dirt Outback, or spending her sabbatical walking across Spain- the woman definitely has an adventurous spirit.
But I digress… we are trying to make the most of our short visit together. While living in Australia one of the things my mum missed most about Coastal BC was our fresh fish, particularly our fresh, wild salmon!
Weather permitting, I love cooking my salmon on the barbecue on cedar planks. The cedar planks aren’t 100% necessary for this dish to be delicious, but they do lend a wonderful aroma to the fish. Salmon, cedar- paired together they are some pretty quintessential West Coast flavours.
You should be able to pick up untreated cedar at most lumber shops but I know they also sell planks at a lot of kitchen supply stores. Make sure you get untreated wood as the cedar will be infusing your fish with whatever is in it.
| Cedar Plank Salmon with Burnt Orange Wasabi Glaze | Print |
- 1.5 lbs wild salmon fillet(s)
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup red wine (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp wasabi paste
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 green onions, chopped (can use ¼ cup chives instead)
- First things first, soak your cedar plank(s) for at least an hour. I like to fill up the kitchen sink and weigh mine down with my heavy stone mortar and pestle so they remain submerged.
- In a medium saucepan, bring marmalade and water to a boil. Turn the heat down and continue reducing until the mixture becomes thick and a lovely mahogany colour. Add salt and set aside.
- If you are adding the red wine, remove the orange mixture from the heat and add red wine by pouring through a sieve. The boiling sugar will sputter when you add the wine, so the sieve will prevent it from splashing back and burning you. Stir well and set aside.
- Heat your barbecue to high (400 degrees) and season your salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Once the barbecue is piping hot, place the seasoned salmon fillets on the soaked cedar planks skin side down (we will not be flipping the salmon at any point) and place the planks on the grill. Close the lid and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Bring the glaze to a boil again and add the wasabi and butter, stirring until encorporated. Remove from the heat and add the green onions.
- Open the top of your barbecue and gently spoon a generous amount of the glaze on to your planked salmon fillets. Close lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately. Pairs excellently with fresh or wilted greens, quinoa and/or rice.
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