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Plank Cooking
Step one is selecting the
plank.:) Most *chefs* prefer alder or cedar,
but other non-resinous
hardwoods such as hickory, maple or oak also
work well. Some chefs are
planking with oak staves from old wine
barrels, so that a lingering
flavor of wine, usually red, also permeates
itself into the fish.
Avoid resinous woods such
as pine; you don't want acrid sap seeping
into the food!!
Naturally, the plank
should be clean and unvarnished. It should be at
least an inch thick and
large enough to generously accommodate the
fish and its cooking juices.
Store-bought cooking planks usually have
an indented cooking area or
grooves to keep the juices from spilling
into the oven, and some have
steel rods to stabilize the wood and
prevent cracking. Ordinary slabs of
alder from a lumber mill are
inexpensive, but they generally have to be
replaced after three or four
visits to the oven.
Don't worry about the
wood igniting; 350° F isn't even hot enough to
char it. Cooking times
will be longer than with a metal or ceramic
baking dish because wood
doesn't conduct as much heat to the food.
Any fish suitable for grilling
can be planked. Striped bass, trout, pike,
bluefish and even halibut are
good examples. Sally McArthur,
executive chef at Anthony's Homeport
Restaurants in the Seattle area,
suggests fillets that are at least half
an inch thick. Sole would be too
thin and too delicate. The beauty of
the planking technique is it's a
great way to cook *thick* fish. A wood
plank helps moderate the
oven's temperature and cook the fish evenly.
One other word for those
who prefers the sweetness of alder when
planking salmon and halibut:
rub both fish and wood with olive oil to
help mingle the flavors and
prevent sticking.
Not only does a wood
plank add delicious flavor and aroma to the fish,
but it also doubles as
an unusual and attractive serving platter. You
can carry the steaming
fish to the table right on the plank. With
complements of simple boiled
potatoes, caramelized onions and
maybe a few decorative sprigs of herbs,
it blossoms as a springtime
feast for the eyes, nose and appetite. |
