Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon with Tropical Fruit Salsa
Posted by Aggies Kitchen on July 15th, 2009. Filed under: Aggie's Kitchen Original, Grill, Healthy Meals, Main Dishes - Seafood, South Beach Friendly.
Over the weekend we had our nephew Ryan over for some dinner. He’s been telling me about this awesome fruit salsa with salmon he made recently and we’ve been planning to try it out one night. What I love about Ryan is that he appreciates good food…he’s a young guy in his 20s and I love that he’s learning to cook and experiment with food. This dinner we made together turned out awesome…
On one of my fun shopping trips to Costco, I picked up a package of cedar wood grilling planks. I have heard of these planks from restaurant menus but never actually used them or even tasted food cooked on them. I was excited to try them out with some wild salmon I brought home from my recent trip to Pensacola. I simply seasoned the fish with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and put them on the planks to grill. A few minutes after the planks hit the grill, we started to smell a delicious sweet aroma. Wow, I was amazed at how good it smelled!
In order to cook with these planks, you have to soak them for at least 20 minutes first. It’s probably a good idea to drizzle a little oil on them or the fish so that there is no sticking going on. Also, make sure you put them on indirect heat…I made the mistake of placing them over a low-medium flame and had a few flare ups. Keep a spray bottle full of water handy just in case this happens…
The result…simply delicious…
We served the grilled salmon with the Tropical Fruit Salsa and some Cilantro Rice. I’ll be posting the Cilantro Rice recipe soon…you won’t believe how easy and delicious that one is!
Enjoy!
Tropical Fruit Salsa
Recipe compliments of nephew Ryan
1/2 cup fresh diced kiwi
1/2 cup fresh diced mango
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup orange juice
Combine in bowl. Serve over grilled salmon or chicken.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Wow Aggie! That looks amazing! Glad you brought some fish home from here. How was the salmon? I've always wanted to try cooking salmon on those cedar planks. May have to pick up some and give it a try. Great recipe Ryan!
July 15th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I wish I was a salmon fan…I'm getting there slowly but surely! I will be trying that fruit salsa though! I bet it'd be great on some grouper
July 15th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
The sweetness of the salsa would go very well with the salmon!!!
July 15th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I could never figure out how cooking on a plank works, but I guess it does. I should try it sometime!
Thanks.
July 15th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Yum, Can't wait to try this delicious looking dish out!
July 15th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I've never thought of Kiwi in a Salsa but I love the color…the taste must be truly wonderful
July 15th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I've been wanting to try grilling salmon on one of those planks for a long time! I wasn't sure if it was worth it or not. From the look of your salmon and post it definitely is!
July 15th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
This is fabulous! I have had a brand new cedar plank sitting in my cupboard for 2 years now. I keep forgetting that I have it!
July 15th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
What a simple and delicious entree. The salmon looks cooked to perfection and I can imagine how great that salsa is when balanced against the cedar smoke flavor of the salmon.
July 15th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Yay for Costco!
The fish looks fantastic. And I've really been craving a fruit salsa. About time I stepped up and made one!
July 15th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
How cool you got cedar planks from Costco – I'll have to look for them! The salsa on top looks delicious!
July 16th, 2009 at 1:25 am
I bought my dad cedar planks for father's day, now I need to buy some for me:) Great meal, the salsa is so pretty on top!
July 16th, 2009 at 1:46 am
Aggie, I'm passing on the Kreativ Blogger award to you. Come to my blog and check it out! Thank you for your wonderful blog.
July 16th, 2009 at 2:00 am
Wow, that looks amazing. Can't wait to try the recipe.
July 16th, 2009 at 5:05 am
2 comments, 1 question: the salsa looks amazing! Can't wait for the rice recipe! And, lastly, do you think it would be as good if the salmon was baked rather than fried? (just got a house,haven't gotten a grill… nor have we had one… ever) eek!
July 16th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
fittinbackin- thanks so much for your comments!
as for the salmon, it would be great broiled, I broil my salmon all the time…just get a baking sheet or a broiler pan, line it in some foil for easier clean up, then cook in a 400 degree oven until salmon is flaky and cooked through (I'm thinking about 10-15 minutes?). let me know if you try it and how it turns out!!!
July 16th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
This looks really yummy. Too bad no one likes salmon in my house but me, but maybe I should just treat myself! I love how healthy this recipe is. I can feel the omega-3s and antioxidants bursting at me.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
This looks delicious! I love salmon and the fruit salsa looks light and refreshing.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
The salsa looks delicious … and perfect for summer. A few weeks ago, I was on Nantucket (yes, you should be jealous) and a friend who has a house there (yes, I'm jealous) had my husband and me over for dinner. She cooked salmon on a cedar plank and it was beyond amazing: moist, flavorful, cooked to perfection. Between you and my oh-so-lucky friend, I may just go out and buy one.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:13 am
Mmmm, this looks like something I would order at a restaurant! I love the colors, gorgeous!
July 17th, 2009 at 2:16 am
I've seen those plank at Costco. I should buy them since I love BBQ salmon. Beautiful salsa.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:41 am
Wow this dish looks amazing! My husband and I just bought a Weber grill that's huge and perfect and so wonderful (can you tell we like it?!). I'll definitely have to try this.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Aggie,
We love planked salmon. You can actually get untreated cedar planks from Lowe's or Home Depot for a lot less money.