Grilled salmon is great. But maple cedar-planked salmon is out of this world. Plus, the leftovers work beautifully in pasta salad.

Planked salmon is a simple and effective way to cook the popular fish. The plank acts as a buffer between the delicate fish and the intense heat of the grill, while infusing the protein with flavour as it smoulders. Untreated cedar planks are inexpensive, and they can be found in the seafood department of most grocery stores. Salmon pairs well with pretty much any vegetable, so toss any veggies you have on hand (we like asparagus, broccolini, peppers and zucchini) in a little oil and grill them alongside the salmon. Leftovers can be tossed into a quick pasta salad for lunch or dinner the next day.

Ingredients for Maple Cedar-Planked Salmon

  • 1 1/2 lb salmon or steelhead trout filet
  • fresh asparagus, peppers, broccolini, zucchini or other veggies
  • olive or canola oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tsp grated ginger

Directions for Maple Cedar-Planked Salmon

  1. Soak an untreated cedar plank in water for at least half an hour. This is easy to do in the sink—just place a pan or other object on the plank to keep it submerged. Trim your veggies and toss with oil until lightly coated; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the glaze ingredients and spread over the surface of the salmon.
  3. Preheat the grill to medium-high and place your plank on the grill for about 5 min, or until it starts to smoulder. Place the filet on the plank. Close the lid and cook for about 10 min, lifting the lid occasionally to check for flames that are a bit too high.
  4. Place the veggies on the grill alongside salmon and cook for another 5–10 min, opening and closing the lid as you need to, until the fish is cooked through (fat will rise to the surface, and the edges should flake with a fork) and the veggies are tender-crisp. Serves 4.

Salmon Pasta Salad

Toss leftover, cold, flaked salmon with cooked short pasta (like rotini or penne), any leftover grilled veggies, grape tomatoes, crumbled feta, fresh herbs and balsamic or red wine vinegar vinaigrette. You can also try and Asian-inspired take with carrots, sugar snap peas, blanched broccoli and sesame-ginger vinaigrette.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, Summer 2017.