Incredible cedar plank salmon

We made some awesome salmon this weekend. If you like fish, you will love this.



The recipe is from Matt's Men's Health magazine.

What you'll need:

2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dry tarragon (we didn't use this because we didn't have any)
1 tsp. dry basil
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 skinless salmon fillets (6 oz. each) - if you only have salmon with skin on one side like we did, you can halve the above recipe.
1 lemon

How to make it:

1. Blend all ingredients except the fish and lemon in a mixing bowl. Transfer, label, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature until needed.

2. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon evenly with the dry rub and then press the seasonings into the flesh. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before cooking. (We cooked the fish just minutes after applying the rub and it was great.)

3. Soak the untreated 3/8-inch cedar plank in water for 1 to 2 hours. Preheat the grill on high. (The directions that came with the planks say to heat them on the gril for 3 minutes per side before putting the salmon on.) Place seasoned salmon fillets onto the plank (making sure they're not touching) and squeeze lemon over them. Place the planks on the grill, lower the heat to medium, and cover. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the fillet's thickness; their internal temperature should be 120 degrees F. Remove the plank from the grill. (Careful! Embers may stick to the bottom of the plank.) Serve with a hunk of lemon. Recipe serves two.



And here it is on an old ugly pan because the bottom of the plank was charred. Note that we made a huge piece of salmon so it took nearly an hour on the grill (because it was pretty thick, too), but it was well worth it for the juicy, smoked flavor.

If you want to make the side dish, you'll need:
1/2 cup dry couscous
1/2 yellow squash
1/2 red bell pepper
A smallish handful of sliced or chopped almonds
A bit of basil, salt, pepper and olive oil

To make, prepare the couscous according to its package directions. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Wa-lah! Recipe serves two.



We used wild alaskan salmon for this recipe because it is most environmentally sustainable. We want to be able to cook this salmon and other great tasting fish for years to come, which means choosing an eco-friendly method of catch. For information about which fish are easiest on the planet, please visit http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.asp. You can even print a pocket-sized guide to take with you to the grocery store and restaurants. If staff at a restaurant or meat counter can't tell you where the fish came from and how it was caught, take your money elsewhere. Your food choices really do matter, and you have a right to good quality food.



We went to the lake twice this weekend in search of calm water for skiing. The winds around here can be tremendous though and there were white caps all over the lake. Still, we enjoyed the sunshine (as proven by our sunburned bodies) and the refreshing dip in the water away from the 103 degree hot air above!