Cedar Plank Salmon...

My mouth waters just thinking about it. We were figuring out a recipe for salmon for our summer menu at the lodge and trying to come up with a way of cooking the salmon that was different than how we'd been serving it thus far. Not that the salmon from the winter/spring menu wasn't super yummy, but mostly just to change things up a bit. I'd always wanted to try making cedar plank salmon but wasn't sure how or where to start for that matter. I did a search for recipes on cedar plank salmon and it was a bit overwhelming. I finally decided to try a recipe for cedar plank salmon with a toasted pecan beurre blanc sauce. Oh my goodness! It was amazing, and after a couple of trials and errors, figured out the perfect amount of time to soak the cedar planks for a wonderful cedar flavor with a hint of smokiness to it. The salmon alone melted in your mouth, but when you add the beurre blanc sauce to it, a whole new dimension in taste explodes in your mouth! If you have cedar planks available to you, I'd highly recommend stocking up on them, because once you make this, you won't want to go back to regular salmon again!

Cedar Plank Salmon with Toasted Pecan Beurre Blanc Sauce

Ingredients:

3 TBS Shallots Finely chopped
3/4 Cups white dry wine
1 TBS Champagne wine vinegar
3 TBS Heavy Cream
1/4 Lb sweet cream butter
3 TBS Chicken Stock
3 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
1/3 cup toasted pecans
5 salmon fillets

Preparation:

*Soak Cedar Planks in water for two hours prior to grilling.

STEP ONE: Toasted Pecan Beurre Blanc Sauce--
Combine all ingredients except the salmon, butter, and pecans in a medium saucepan and bring to a vigorous boil.
Reduce stock down to about 1/3 and adjust heat to a medium flame.
Whisk in butter, one tablespoon at a time, until completely melted, and strain.
Add salt, pepper, and toasted pecans.

STEP TWO: Preparation of the Fillets-- brush with olive oil, and and place on a prepared cedar plank and grill until fish is tender and flaky (about 6 to 7 minutes on each side). Serve fillets topped with Beurre Blanc sauce.