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Planked Salmon with Lemon Mustard Glaze

Salmon Plank

Long before cedar planks started turning up on American grills, nineteenth-century chefs cooked fish on oak planks in the oven. Even earlier, the Indians of coastal Connecticut nailed shad fillets to boards that they stood in front of a campfire. All of which is to say that the “new” technique of planked fish dates back centuries, and that you don’t need a grill to enjoy it.


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Planked Salmon with Lemon Mustard Glaze

Recipe Notes

  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Equipment: A cedar or other hardwood plank at least 7 by 12 inches and a heatproof platter large enough to hold it

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless salmon fillet, preferably wild
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s
  • 1/3 cup Dijon or Meaux mustard
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, or to taste

Recipe Steps

Step 1: Soak the plank in cold water in a large pot, the sink, or on a rimmed baking sheet for 30 minutes (keep it submerged by placing a pot on top). Drain and wipe the plank dry.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 400°F or set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat it to medium-high.

Step 3: Run your fingers over the salmon fillet feeling for pin bones. Remove any you find with needle-nose pliers or kitchen tweezers.

Step 4: Generously season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange it, skin side down, on the damp plank.

Step 5: Place the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Using a rubber spatula, spread the glaze over the top and sides of the salmon.

Step 6: If you are baking the salmon, place the fish on its plank on a baking sheet or a piece of aluminum foil in the oven. Bake the salmon until the glaze is puffed, bubbling, and browned and the fish is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer in the wide end of the fish for 15 seconds. When the salmon is done the thermometer will register 145°F. Or insert a thin metal skewer into the fish and leave it there about 15 seconds; when the salmon is done the skewer will come out hot to the touch.

If you are grilling the salmon, place the fish on its plank in the center of the grill away from the heat. Close the lid and grill the salmon until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer in the wide end of the fish for 15 seconds. When the salmon is done the thermometer will register 145°F. Or insert a thin metal skewer into the fish; when the salmon is done the skewer will come out hot to the touch.

Step 7: Transfer the fish on its plank to a heatproof platter and serve it right off the plank.

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