Cedar Plank Salmon

Start with the salmon. Not any salmon, but wild salmon from cold, clean waters. Know where it was caught if you can. The difference between wild and farmed fish is the difference between a tomato from your garden and one shipped green across the country. Wild salmon tastes of the sea it swam in, the rivers it climbed. It has earned its flavor.

The cedar plank technique comes from the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, who understood something essential: the best cooking often means getting out of the way. The wood does not overpower. It whispers. As the plank heats, it releases aromatic oils that wrap around the fish while the moisture in the soaked wood steams the flesh from below. The salmon stays impossibly moist. The smoke stays subtle.

I learned this method from a fisherman in Washington who had learned it from his grandmother. He used nothing but salt and the plank. I have added a little here, lemon and dill and garlic, but the principle remains. When you have fish this good, your job is to honor it. Season with restraint. Cook with attention. Serve with gratitude.