Honey Dijon Plank Salmon
Salmon…the king of fish. Mostly everyone loves it…and unfortunately mostly everyone over cooks it. But not this time boys and girls… not this time.
This isn’t your everyday salmon either kids. It’s Copper River Salmon…it’s basically the Hercules of salmon. And it’s fantastic.
The Pacific Northwest comes alive each May as this salmon becomes readily available for a short few weeks. Restaurants buzz with whispers of succulent grilled Copper River Salmon, poached Copper River Salmon and plainly sauteed. And those in the know are able to get it all over the country now in gourmet super markets and fish mongers alike.
What makes this salmon so spectacular? It swims in the cold and treacherous waters of the Copper River in Alaska. It is 300 miles long, extremely cold and has roaring rapids. These unyielding conditions force the fish to become stronger, fiercer and tastier to us. It boasts a higher content of healthy Omega 3 fats and therefore has a silkier, melt in your mouth texture and a more robust flavor that will leave you craving more.
Salmon is pretty prevalent in our house. I try and buy it as often as possible due to its positive nutritional attributes and lip smacking flavor it is a must in our house hold. Although, I must say, I have exhausted my favorite salmon recipes to the point where they are no longer a favorite.
So off to the drawing board I went…wrecking my mind for ways to re-invent the ever so popular household staple.
I was browsing through Costco and stumbled upon this naturally, bright red fleshed fish! It was Copper River Salmon season people! And I was not about to turn it down!
Considering it is summer, I try and grill as often as possible. It’s healthier, it gets me outside and most importantly it’s way quicker.
Hubs recently picked up some handy dandy cedar planks to be used for grilling. And that was precisely what I intended to use.
These planks are an easy and quick way to prep fish on the grill. They infuse your food with a subtle, smoky flavor without adding any fat or much work for that matter. And they are not readily available at most grocery stores…and Home Depot 🙂
First you have to soak the planks in water for about 20-30 minutes or so. Just so they do not burn up immediately upon placing them on the grill.
And there is our gorgeous salmon and it’s beautiful red color. Go ahead and season it liberally with salt and pepper.
FACT: Salmon gets its gorgeous well salmony color from consuming shrimp in the wild. However, when it is farm raised, it is fed everything but shrimp and due to that they have to dye the flesh. Not to mention pump it full of antibiotics. All more reasons to get wild fish.
In another bowl, mix up honey, dijon, minced garlic, lemon juice and chives. I always put lemon juice with fish. I just feel it brightens the flavor.
Preheat your grill to high. Place the salmon on your planks that were previously soaking. And place a few dollops of the honey mustard mixture onto it.
Spread it with a spoon or a knife. Whatever your heart desires. I did it right in the package that the salmon came in. Less dishes makes me one happy gal. You can also add some lemon slices on top to complete the picture. I like to slice the salmon into my portions right here on the planks so that it does not get messy after I cook them.
Place the planks on the grill and close the grill.
Allow to cook for 10 minutes or until the flesh is pink…you want it to be cooked to medium. THAT is the temperature good salmon should be cooked to.
See how gorgeously salmony pinkish coral that is!!! It’s beautiful isn’t it?
And guys this would work with any salmon it does not have to be Copper River Salmon… Just please make sure it’s wild. The farmed stuff is just awful for us.
Pssst…I also linked this recipe on Rachel’s blog Southern Fairytale in my fave linky party Mouth Watering Mondays! Check it out for some great recipes and stories!
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Honey Dijon Plank Salmon
Ingredients
- 3 pounds wild salmon
- 1/2 a cup of Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 minced cloves of garlic (minced on the microplaner)
- sliced lemon slices (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Season salmon liberally with salt and pepper.
- In another bowl, mix up honey, dijon, minced garlic, lemon juice and chives. I always put lemon juice with fish. I just feel it brightens the flavor.
- Preheat your grill to high. Place the salmon on your planks that were previously soaking. Place a few dollops of the honey mustard mixture onto fish.
- Spread it with a spoon or a knife. Whatever your heart desires. I did it right in the package that the salmon came in. You can also add some lemon slices on top to complete the picture. I like to slice the salmon into my portions right here on the planks so that it does not get messy after I cook them.
- Place the planks on the grill and close the grill.
- Allow to cook for 10 minutes or until the flesh is pink…you want it to be cooked to medium. THAT is the temperature good salmon should be cooked to.
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