If you had one chance to impress with salmon... (on charcoal)

[BBQandLove]

I am cooking prime strip steaks for a party of 8 tomorrow, but one of the ladies doesn't eat red meat. So I picked up some wild caught salmon at Costco last night. I bought an extra one to do a trial run. This lady and her husband are the reason for this supper, so I want to blow her away with the salmon.

My go-to is brush maple syrup on a cedar board, put on the salmon, brush the salmon with maple syrup. Then season with lemon pepper and a bit of salt. Dot the whole thing with 1/8" thick pats of butter. Then cover each pat of butter with 1/8" thick slice of lemon. Indirect over charcoal and a bit of pecan. Take to 125 degrees internal. It's good, really, really good in fact, but I'm not sure it's "WOW"!

The probability of my steaks being at WOW level is super high. How can I bring my salmon to the same level?

[Greygoose]

Well, sounds good to me,,👍👍👍
did something similar on my Santa Maria and my wife said it was the best salmon she has ever had,,,

[fzxdoc]

What a beautiful cook! Since I don't even eat fish, that's saying something.

Kathryn

[Greygoose]

Thank you Kathryn

[bbqLuv]

You impressed; I'm impressed.
fish is my Waterloo

[DaveD]

Following so I can learn some things

[mrteddyprincess]

I think you're going to achieve WOW! by that method you described. Your wife might even say, "I'll have what she's having..." :-)

Brian

[ecowper]

That’s a very nice approach to Salmon ….. I typically do salmon straight on the grill, no plank. I start skin side down until I’m 5 degrees shy of my target temp. I flip to the flesh side over direct heat for 90-120 seconds to get some good grill marks and a bit of char (just a little). I use SPG for seasoning, or sometimes Ras el Hanout or Baharat. I really like wild caught salmon, especially King, to just speak for itself.

[MsTwiggy]

+1 👆If its king salmon just dont overcook and it will be the best they have ever had. If it’s previously frozen sockeye then a little seasoning is nice. 🔥🔥🐿️

[Uncle Bob]

Fish seems to be trickier for recommendations for a lot of folks. Beef, as an example, is a matter of grade and doneness for the most part with beefy flavor being beefy flavor (outside of the grass finish/grain finish arguments).

For simplification I see the salmon recipe world as split roughly in two. Atlantic salmon (mostly farm raised), and wild caught Pacific salmon. To my tastes there is a significant difference in taste between the two, with the Atlantic being low on the innate flavor scale, and Pacific being more flavorful and richer in taste from the resident oils. When I see recommendations for piling on or slathering all manner of adornments that impart flavor (salsas, glazes, and the like) it's understandable for Atlantic which lacks the richness of wild Pacific. I don't buy Atlantic. For that reason I tend toward the simple seasoning to let more of the inherent real Salmon flavor come through. Your pull temp of 125 is good for that because you should be retaining natural moisture and flavor. Not to hurt your feelings, but for as much as I love maple syrup, on a good wild Pacific salmon that would be as appropriate as glazing a fine prime rib slab with it.

The cedar plank may impart some good flavor though I smoke (lightly since it grills so fast) with alder which loves salmon as a complement. Our favorite preparation is marinade in a EVOO/soy mix with some lemon or lime (adjust salting depending on what type soy you use). The soy compliments the natural oils and doesn't introduce a distracting additional flavor.

I've purposely avoided getting into preferences within the world of wild caught Pacific salmon as you can have all manner of jousting when comparing coho, Copper River, king, and sockeye flavor profiles. Away from the West coast what we most often see in wild caught is sockeye.

Edit: ecowper replied while I was. As Eric has shown, keep it simple................let the fish do it's thing for flavor.

[BBQandLove]

well, I shoulda clarified… I use my method on Atlantic… never did the wild caught Pacific. Good input… thanks

[Troutman]

I challenge the cedar plank imparting flavor statement. That’s been debunked several times.

[TripleB]

Sounds "Wow" to me. As long as you got an instant read thermometer and checking that internal temperature. Let us know how it came out...with pics please.

[Jerod Broussard]

I rub both sides with a Mayo/black pepper mixture and let it rip. Melted butter at serving.

[Spinaker]

This is my favorite one. I made this the other night, so, so good.

Schmancy Hot Smoked Salmon

[barelfly]

This is how I go with charcoal as well.

[hoovarmin]

I almost always go with the Schmancy when I cook Salmon. It isn't going to be restaurant pretty, but the flavor is deeply satisfying.

[Spinaker]

It is so damn good.

[bmillin]

I must have misunderstood the question

[bmillin]

Found it here - https://www.photo12.com/fr/image/hrm19d05_158

[acorgihouse]

fzxdoc I think is Alice in Wonderland?

[fzxdoc]

Oh yes, that's it. Alice in Wonderland, bmillin and acorgihouse. Thanks.

Edited to add: here's the poem the illustration was meant for, in part.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_Old,_Father_William

K.

[Huskee]

What does the cedar plank actually do? I say skip it and get you some good fire on both sides. My current favorite seasoning is Neau Bay from Heaven Made Products or a simple SPG seasoning, light enough to not overpower a delicate salmon but enough to make it sparkle.

[BBQandLove]

For me, the cedar plank is nothing more than a safe wood to cook the fish on. I simply prefer it to cooking it on foil. It’s not “ohhhh! cedar plank salmon” for me. Not convinced it’s anything more than an aesthetically pleasing and very workable surface to cook on. (I might be wrong on this, and I am open to input. Just stating my current opinion.)

[Troutman]

Cedar planking is a waste of time. Use a Phat Mat, it actually allows more flavor to penetrate the bottom of the filet.

[DTro]

Maple and lemon pepper is my second favorite recipe for salmon. Olive oil, soy sauce, dill, and a good pinch ground cloves is my favorite. With a kiss of flame, it's off the charts. However, I wouldn't have any problem eating your recipe, it sounds delish!

[Troutman]

Nice pic.

[Santamarina]

Best of luck to you. Cooked salmon is not my thing, so I’m of little use here. I’ll eat raw salmon sushi all day long, but once you cook it I’m out. I’ve had well over a dozen people in my lifetime say something like, “but you’ve never had *my* salmon…you’ll love it!”

…I never have.

I’ll eat just about any fish raw, but cooked…I tap out after fish and chips.

[hoovarmin]

I think you should go with what you know since you're serving a guest and save the new methods for later. Besides, the way you do it sounds really terrific.

[fzxdoc]

Agreed. You can always knock her socks off with a different salmon dish the next time she visits.

Kathryn

[fzxdoc]

Sometime try replacing the maple syrup with dijon mustard and going with the lemon pepper. I sous vide or grill salmon all the time for my husband, and he likes that combo--dijon mustard + lemon pepper.

When I sous vide, after taking it from the bag and drying it off, I top of the piece with a smear of dijon mustard and a generous sprinkle with lemon pepper panko (previously toasted in a small skillet with a little butter). Under the broiler for a minute or two, and serve. This approach equals one happy husband in my house.

Kathryn