Saturday, June 11, 2011

Planking Food

Planking refers to using a wooden plank to cook food. If you have never had Salmon planked on Cedar or Alder, you owe it to yourself to try it. There are a lot of resources on the Internet that have recipes for this. However the most important thing is to soak the plank before you use it. You can use a plank in the oven or on a grill. No matter which you use the wood will impart a great smoky taste to the food. Here are some things to remember.

  1. Use a good quality wood. You can make planks yourself. However you have to make sure that the wood is the right type and has not been treated with chemicals.  I recommend buying planks that are sold for the purpose of cooking.
  2.  Seasoning the board.  After you have soaked it, preheat the board on the grill for about one minter per side and then season the cooking side with some olive oil. That will help keep the food from sticking and the board from absorbing the juices.
  3. While most people will think of Salmon as the food for this method, try it on Shrimp or Chicken.  Some people also use this method on steak. I have not tried that and cannot comment.

So try it and see if you like it.