In the Pacific Northwest there is one fish that is King, and that fish is Salmon.  Whether you get it at your local Farmer’s Market, the Fisherman’s Terminal in Ballard, from the flying fish guys at Pike Place Market or you catch it yourself, Salmon is best here in the Northwest.  Summertime is the perfect time of year for putting our local fishy royalty on the grill.  And there isn’t a recipe that is easier than this.

To take it up another notch without complicating things, you can throw the salmon on to a Cedar Plank (you can find these online and in some local grocery stores like Metropolitan Markets, PCC & Thriftway).

Cedar Planking gives the Salmon a rich, delicious smoky flavor and it really could not be simpler.  A few tips before you get started:

• Make sure that the wood you are using is Food Safe – a Cedar Shingle from the hardware store is loaded with industry chemicals that can make you very sick
• Soak the Cedar Plank for at least 3 hours in salted water before you plan on using it
• Use fresh Salmon – check out your local fish market, the fresher the better
• Keep the skin on the Salmon, it helps make it easier to remove the Salmon from the plank

Cedar Plank Salmon
This recipe can easily be doubled

• 1 Cedar Plank
• 1 lb Salmon, skin on, cut into fillets
• 1 Orange, cut into round slices, then halved
• 1 Red Onion, cut into round slices, then halved
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh Rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Flake or Chili Threads

Soak your Cedar Plank for at least 3 hours in salted water (Just enough salt in the water so that you can taste it, all it really is there to do is help season the fish during grilling).
Pull the Cedar Plank out of the water soak and lay the Salmon, skin side down, on the plank.  Place half a slice of Orange and Red Onion in between each piece of Salmon, followed by a sprig of Rosemary.
Now to season it: Drizzle the Olive Oil over the top, followed by the Black Pepper, Salt and Chili.  Set this aside and get your grill ready.
You will be grilling over a medium high heat setting.  If you have a gas grill simply turn your dial to Medium-High.  For Charcoal, get your coals ready and hold your hand over the center of the flame about 6″ above the actual grill, if you can comfortably leave your hand there for about 7-8 seconds your coals are ready.

Now the simplest part – stick the planks on the grill, put the lid on the grill, wait 20-25 minutes and they are done.
Tip: Do not keep opening up the grill to check on the fish.  You will lose all the delicious smoke that has built up in the grill and your fish won’t get that nice smoky flavor.

I like to use the boards to serve the fish, either put them on a platter, baking sheet or piece of foil to prevent the scorched underside from leaving any marks on tabletops.  Enjoy!

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from PCC , Metropolitan Market, Thriftway or any other organizations mentioned for this article.

Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved
All content, text and images are  ©2010 All Rights Reserved and may not be used or reposted without express written consent.

So you remember that Truffled Herb Butter we made a little bit ago right?  Well allow me to give you a turkey recipe that will make your eyes close and roll back up in your head while you uncontrollably go “Mmmm mmm MMM!” between bites.

Imagine a Turkey Breast that is juicy, succulent and melts in your mouth.  No really!  I’m not joking it’s possible… take a deep breath and open your mind.  Imagine mingling flavors of herbs, trace hints of earthy aromatic white truffles dancing around with the butter and natural juices of your Turkey.  Now imagine all that goodness spilling out on to carrots, potatoes, leeks… well pretty much any roastable vegetable you want to stick under it.  Now imagine a Turkey Breast that is quick and easy to prepare but tastes like you spent hours and will leave a lasting impression on those who nom it down.  Say it isn’t so?  Well…

Imagine no more and get your roast on.

Truffle & Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

• 1 recipe of Truffled Herb Butter
• 1 split Turkey Breast, bone-in and skin on, washed and patted dry
• 4-5 cups chopped Roasting Vegetables – baby potatoes carrots, onions, leeks, parsnips, celery, etc. cut no more than half inch thick
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs, plucked from stems (I used rosemary, oregano, thyme & sage)
• Olive Oil, for drizzling
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 350.  Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Spread chopped vegetables on the parchment paper, then randomly sprinkle on your whole herbs (if you don’t have fresh you can use dried).  Now drizzle a little Olive Oil onto the vegetables and give them a quick toss to coat.  You do not want to over oil them as the juices of the Turkey will come down and join the party while it roasts.  Set this aside.

Now we move over to the Turkey Breast.  Slide a finger up under the skin to make a pocket, yeah it’s a little icky feeling up under there but it’s worth it.  Now take your Truffled Herb Butter and jam it up under the skin.  Press it around and get it in there really good.  Rub any excess you have on the outside of the skin.  Place the Breast on the vegetables, bone side down and skin side up.  Place in the oven and roast uncovered for 45-55 minutes (depending on the size of your breast).  Remove and let it rest uncovered for 5-10 minutes to let the juices settle.  Remove the bone and slice into portions and serve with the roasted vegetables. Serves 4

***Cook’s Note: You can sub out Chicken Breast and you could certainly use this as a treatment to a whole Chicken, Cornish Game Hen or even holiday Turkey.
You can easily double this recipe, and I would highly suggest it since between 2 people we… well we indulged.  Who am I kidding we could not stop eating this and it left us short for having Roast Turkey sandwiches the next day.
***Additional Note:  You don’t have to have truffles to make the butter, check out the Truffled Herb Butter link for alternative suggestions.