Where to Buy a Cedar Plank:
The cedar plank is not a new method of cooking and here in the Pacific Northwest the natives have been roasting their salmon like this for eons. Cedar planks are relatively inexpensive and readily available at hardware stores, lumber yards or anywhere outdoor grilling supplies are sold.
Preparing the Cedar Plank:
Cedar planks are dry and flammable wood so they need a good two-hour soaking to keep them from catching fire during the cooking process. After the soak the plank gets really hot in the oven and it begins to steam and releases that wonderful woodsy flavor of cedar that just permeates into the salmon.
Choices to Soak your Cedar Plank With:
- Water
- Apple Cider
- White Wine
Why Soak the Salmon in a Salt-Water Solution?
Our sockeye salmon fillets also get a little soaking. It is so disappointing to pull a gorgeous cut of salmon out of the oven and see white stuff in places. Yes, it is a natural process and it is called albumin but it can be eliminated or controlled. It is caused by protein in the flesh that is pushed out of the muscles during the cooking process. A short ten-minute soak in a salt-water brine is the secret to eliminating all or most it. That briny soak will also firm up the salmon and make it more moist and flavorful.
How Long Should a Salmon Fillet Cook?
Calculate four minutes for each one-half inch of thickness. Try to purchase fillets that are at least one inch in thickness. Remove from the oven when it is firm and barely opaque all the way through or if using an instant-read thermometer to a temperature of 140 degrees.
What are Hazelnuts?
Hazelnuts are the star in this flavorful vinaigrette. Hazelnuts are products of the Filbert tree and have a dark colored skin that some people like to remove after roasting. However, we like the flavor that the roasted skin imparts to the nuts and our vinaigrette.
Making the vinaigrette is an easy combination of:
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- minced shallots
- Dijon mustard
- honey
- olive oil
- chopped toasted hazelnuts
- fresh thyme leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
The ground toasted hazelnuts add a unique flavor-burst that you will love when spooned over the salmon fillets.
If you have not yet tried salmon roasted, baked or grilled on a cedar plank, you just do not know what you have been missing. It is really worth it!
You might also like:
- Ginger-Miso Glazed Salmon
- Mascarpone and Smoked Salmon Bruschetta
- Wild Alaskan King Salmon with Blueberry Sauce
This recipe for Cedar-Plank Sockeye Salmon with Hazelnut Vinaigrette is adapted from Ivar’s Seafood Cookbook
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Ingredients
Hazelnut Vinaigrette:
Instructions
To make the vinaigrette:
To cook the salmon:
Brine the Salmon Fillets:
Bake the Salmon:
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Yield
4 Serving Size
1
Amount Per ServingCalories 255 Total Fat 14g Saturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 75mg Sodium 300mg Protein 33g
Carla Patterson
Ay, this looks so extremely tasty <3 Thanks a lot for sharing it with us. I love recipes like that, even though I eat them so rarely.
Pat
Hi, Carla….Thanks for your comments….This is delicious! Salmon is so good any way it is prepared. 🙂
John/Kitchen Riffs
I love salmon cooked any which way, but it’s always special on a cedar plank. Fun recipe! Thanks so much.
Pat
Hi, John….You are right, the plank makes this ‘special’ and I do not use it nearly as often as I should. 🙂
Deanna
Love salmon!!! This looks amazing!!!
Pat
Thank you, Deanna 🙂
rika
Very beautiful salmon recipe! I love seafood, salmon is very healthy, my family always eat it twice a week.
Pat
Thank you, Rika….I, too, love seafood! I’m always looking for new ways to cook salmon. 🙂
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
That hazelnut vinaigrette sounds amazing. Usually my husband just does a lemon dressing on his salmon but I bet he’d LOVE this!
Pat
Hi, Liz….this is a really nice vinaigrette with salmon but that lemon dressing sounds wonderful! 🙂
Tina
This is so clever and your pictures a quite beautiful! Can’t wait to try this:)
Pat
Thanks, Tina…I hope you like this as much as we do! 🙂
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I make a cedar planked salmon too and it’s one of our favorites. That sauce looks incredible. I want to lick the screen.
Pat
Ha, ha, Lisa….my screen need a good cleaning! Thanks for the comments. The sauce is a delicious addition to the salmon! 🙂