Mid May in Seattle is Copper River Salmon time. I saw in the paper yesterday, that this short run season has just started, and the first fish of the season has just arrived on an Alaska Airlines flight bringing this seasonal treat into town for a few short weeks – a media event for the local cooking scene. Planking a salmon is such a summer experience for me. It definitely signals the start of summer grilling season, and salmon, similar to Dungeness Crab, is local and indigenous food (although it actually is flown in from Canada – details…) This is a dish best served simply. The salmon is best prepped rubbing with a high-grade extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I also like to use Tom Douglass’s Salmon Rub with Love, a locally made spice rub that subtly enhances the flavors of the dish.

I like to go to the Pike Place Market to source my fish – if you are not buying Copper River Salmon, then fresh line/troll caught King Salmon is the way to go.

Ingredients

Wild salmon filet: 1 – 2 lbs – ask to have the pin bones removed

Lemon

Salt, pepper, rub – Tom Douglass Salmon Rub with Love – see pic below

Cedar plank – most places will sell these with the salmon

Grilled vegetables – Orange peppers, Walla Walla sweet onions, corn, shishito peppers, or others as desired

Preparation

Soak the cedar plank in water for a minimum of 30 minutes up to a couple of hours

Coat the salmon with EEVO and season to your preference

Prepare vegetables for the grill – coat in EEVO, cook peppers whole so they steam from the inside, slice onions and use skewers to keep together.

Place the salmon on the plank and over indirect or low heat – you don’t want to burn the plank – the heat from the grill will cook the salmon perfectly in 10-15 minutes. Cook to medium-rare or more done if preferred, but this will only dry out the salmon. You may see a white fatty substance coming out of the salmon as it cooks. This is a protein called albumin and is very normal and edible. You can reduce the effect of the albumin by brining the salmon for 10 minutes in a salt-based solution if desired, but this is not necessary.

Grill vegetables until done

Enjoy