Plank Grilled Pesto Topped Salmon

By jeaninemg

Alder, apple, cedar and maple all of which has been cut, planed, sanded and kiln dried, and soaked for a while in water then placed on the barbecue grill, imparts a nutty woodsy flavor to any food. These planks should be untreated, and prepared only for cooking on the grill and in the oven. Salmon is the perfect dish to cook on the grill in this way, and particularly tasty if it's marinated in and topped with pesto.

We love our pesto topped fish along with assorted roasted vegetables: potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots.

Ingredients

• Pesto:
• 1 – 1 pound salmon filet with skin on
• 1-1/2 cups loosely packed basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 50mins
Cooking time 80mins

Preparation

Step 1

Place the plank in water so it is completely covered. Place a heavy pot or can of food on the plank to keep it from floating. It should soak a minimum of one hour in order for it to be saturated. This prevents the board from burning when placed on the grill.

Place basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in a blender or food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With motor running add olive oil and process until a paste forms. Season with salt and pepper.

Wash and dry fish and remove the skin. Check for pin bones and remove as required. A pair of tweezers are a handy tool for this.

Season fish with salt and pepper and rub with a liberal amount of pesto. Reserve some pesto to top the fish with when you grill it. Marinate the salmon in the pesto about 30 minutes.

Turn your bbq grill on high until heated. Leave the two side burners on high and turn the middle one off. Place the salmon on the plank and top with reserved pesto. Grill on plank over the center burner for approximately 30 minutes. Check often; you don't want to overcook it or it will become dry.

Note – you may substitute cod, sea bass or halibut for the salmon.