Yeah, more salmon.
We’re not yet getting the coveted Copper River salmon in yet, but we are getting some very nice Pacific wild-caught. This particular fillet was the nicest one we’ve had all year. For this meal I wanted to spice things up a bit, but not overwhelm the salmon.
Use a food-grade plank that’s been soaked in water for at least an hour. Set your grill up for direct cooking at medium-high heat (about 450°F).
Oil the skin side of the salmon and season both sides with a little kosher salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Brush the salmon with a tablespoon or so of either Tiger Sauce or a 50/50 mix of Mae Ploy Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce and Sriracha. Dust with a little of your favorite barbecue rub (Dizzy Pig’s Tsunami Spin in this case).
Put the plank on the grill by itself with the lid up for about 5 minutes, or until you see just a little smoke coming from the board. Flip the plank over and put the salmon on skin side down on the hot side of the plank.
Close the lid on the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes. I like salmon best when it’s medium rare, so take the fillet off when it jut starts to flake, but is still a little translucent red inside – about 130°F internal. The fish will continue to cook a little once it’s off the heat, so take it off when it’s slightly underdone.
It really pays to look for a uniformly shaped fillet. This one cooked very evenly and stayed wonderfully moist – except for those crispy bits at the very edge where the salmon barely fit on the board, but even those where tasty.
Well now this certainly looks good. I have one plank left and I’ll spice me up some salmon! It wasn’t but one hour ago that I said to my husband “where the hell is the Copper River Salmon?” I’ll have to ask about it today at Whole Foods.