CEDAR-PLANKED SALMON

Cedar-Planked Salmon image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 22

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Ingredients

Cedar-Planked Salmon
2 untreated cedar planks, each about 5 x 12 inches
Olive oil
4 (8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinot Butter (recipe follows)
Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
Pinot Noir Reduction
3 1/2 cups chicken stock, homemade (page 240) or store-bought
6 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small Spanish onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
PINOT BUTTER
2 cups Pinot Noir
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(makes about 3/4 cup)

Steps:

Submerge the cedar planks in cold water and soak for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
To make the Pinot Noir reduction, combine the stock and peppercorns in a small saucepan and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, and 2 tablespoons of the honey and boil until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Add the reduced stock and boil until reduced by half again, about 5 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean saucepan and set aside.
Remove the planks from the water, put them on a baking sheet, and place them in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and brush the tops of the planks with olive oil.
Brush both sides of the salmon fillets with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place 2 fillets on each plank, leaving a few inches of space between the pieces of fish. Return the planks to the oven and cook the salmon to medium, 10 to 12 minutes.
While the salmon is cooking, finish the sauce. Return the saucepan to high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon honey, season with salt and pepper, and cook to a sauce consistency (see page 250); you will have about 1 cup.
Transfer the fillets to a platter or immediately serve directly from the planks. Top each fillet with some of the Pinot butter and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with parsley leaves.
PINOT BUTTER
Pour the wine into a small saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and let cool.
Put the butter in a bowl, add the wine reduction, and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days to allow the flavors to meld.