American
Cedar Plank Salmon
The Pacific Northwest's most iconic preparation — smoky, aromatic, and profoundly simple.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
Cedar plank cooking is a Pacific Northwest Indigenous tradition that transfers extraordinary aromatic flavor to fish as it cooks. The salmon slowly roasts on a soaked cedar plank set over indirect grill heat, absorbing the woody, slightly sweet smoke of the cedar while basting in its own rich oils.
The result is a salmon with a depth and complexity that no other cooking method produces. A compound butter of fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic melts into the fish during the final minutes, adding a richness and brightness that makes the dish complete.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 1 whole salmon fillet (2–2.5 lbs), skin-on
- 1 untreated cedar plank (soaked in water 1–2 hours, weighted down)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
For the herb compound butter
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Method
- 1
MAKE THE COMPOUND BUTTER: Combine all butter ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly until completely integrated. Scrape onto a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a cylinder. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
- 2
SOAK THE CEDAR PLANK: Submerge the plank in water for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours. Weight it down. A well-soaked plank will smoke gently rather than catching fire.
- 3
PREP SALMON: Pat salmon dry. Rub skin side and flesh side with olive oil. Season the flesh side generously with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- 4
PREHEAT GRILL to medium (about 375–400°F). Set up for indirect cooking: heat one side of a two-burner gas grill, or bank charcoal to one side.
- 5
PLANK COOK: Place the soaked plank on the indirect heat side. Close the lid and let it heat 3–5 minutes until it begins to smoke and crackle. Place salmon skin-side down on the hot plank and close the lid.
- 6
Cook 18–22 minutes until the salmon reaches your preferred doneness (125°F for medium-rare, 135°F for medium). In the last 3 minutes, lay 4–5 slices of compound butter over the surface and let it melt into the fish.
- 7
Serve directly on the plank at the table for dramatic presentation. Slice with a spatula between the flesh and skin, leaving the skin on the plank.
Substitutions
- Chef's tip: if the plank catches fire, close the grill lid and the flame will smother. If it persists, move the salmon to the indirect side and use a spray bottle of water. Light char and smoke is desirable; a fully burning plank is not.
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