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Question - Whole smoked planked Salmon

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suyasmoke

suyasmoke

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 19, 2016
24
15
Hi all,

i have had this idea in my head all week and thought i'd put it out to the group.

I have a whole salmon in my freezer, already marinated. i bought the salmon after Christmas, while on sale. i quickly marinated it once i got home and stuck it in the deep freezer. 

i like the idea of cooking the fish whole (only thing i may do is cut off the head, as not sure will fit in my bbq with the head). So i have been researching Cedar planking methods, but I'm yet to see any cooks with a whole salmon. 

With the Cedar plank i would like to place the plank directly on the coals - is there any reason not to?

So, this is what i would like to do:
  • soak the cedar wood in wine & water mixture (I'm thinking over night)
  • dry the wood and place whole salmon on cedar wood
  • place cedar wood (with salmon on top) directly on the charcoals
i will be leaving the skin on the fish, so I'm guessing that will stick to the cedar wood. so the idea is to bring the fish to the table on the plank.

What should the internal temp of the fish be when i pull it from the bbq?

Should i add any other wood (e.g. cherry, pecan, etc)  or would the cedar be sufficient?

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated - and i hope it all makes sense!

Many thanks

SuyaSmoke
 
I agree with Al. Place the Plank on the grate above the coals and build the fire so you can slide the plank to a cooler spot if needed. Charring is fine but you don't want flaming Cedar. I cook Fish to an IT of 145°F. Moist and just barely going from tranlucent to opaque...JJ
 
Last edited:
SuyaSmoke, Here's a pic of what I do on a regular basis which is grilling Salmon on a cedar plank. Yes the wood would catch fire if you placed the plank directly on the coals. I question if infact you are actually grilling the Salmon like what I do. Internal temp should be 140-145*. I would not add another flavor wood for it would distract from the Cedar flavor. Yes, the skin is on and will stick to the wood.


dcb8763dc40b22a5c8fc073faf9c73a6.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Thank you @SmokinAl  and @Chef JimmyJ  

@cmayna  that salmon looks delicious. have you ever done a whole salmon? your pic has me questioning my reason for smoking the fish whole! haha

do you place the cedar wood directly above the hot charcoals? 
 
No, never done a whole Salmon for they are generally too big for just the two of us to eat, thus why I do whole filets.  My grill pictured above is a gasser, but I have done it on my round weber which is charcoal.  Depending on how hot the coals are, would determine if I place the plank directly above or offset.
 
Thanks @cmayna

Can i use any type of cedar wood? Should I buy the wood from a BBQ suppliers or can I pick up wood from the hardware store?
 
Many grocery markets carry wood planks in their meat department.  Oak, Alder, cedar, etc.   Hardware stores who sell grills, etc normally carry them.   What I forgot to mention earlier is that I normally (though the pic above does not show it very well) lay the plank on the hot grill without the fish.  Let the bottom side get a little dark.  Turn it over and then lay the fish down on the browned side.  
 
Cedar House Siding is often treated and not suitable for cooking. Look for Food Safe Cedar...JJ 
 
I forgot to mention that typically you soak the plank in water for a couple hours before going on the grill


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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