The sun was peeking through the clouds yesterday, in and out and in and out. So when it finally decided to stay out around 3, I decided to bbq. I know, I just bbq’d a few days ago, but it’s summer (well almost). Anyway, here is a great recipe for a Spiced Coconut Salmon on a Cedar Plank. I picked up the Coconut Sugar and Cedar Planks at our local store. Follow the instructions for soaking the plank, it’s important. Mine needed 2 hours in water – it worked out perfectly. I actually wanted to use Maple Sugar (but that will be another blog) but could only find Coconut Sugar in my pantry. But after tasting it, I liked the caramel flavor it had and decided to use it instead.

Dry rub’s are so versatile. You can put anything in them – but always taste it before you rub it on your expensive cuts of meat or fish. I wanted a sweet heat so settled for Cayenne to offset the sugar and to complement it a bit more gentle spice, added garlic, cumin and coriander powders. You could add any number of ingredients to this rub – onion powder, dried thyme, dill, oregano, garam masala, tandoori masala – really anything you fancy – just remember the rules – taste it first before rubbing it on your raw fish or meat.

2 lb Salmon filet, skin removed

Dry Rub
3 tblsp Coconut Sugar
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp ground Coriander
1/2 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl – stir

Sprinkle and lightly rub the dry rub into the salmon
Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature
Put the bbq onto high
Place the salmon on the soaked planks
When bbq reaches 400f, put the potatoes in a grill pan and place on the bbq
Put the planked salmon on another part of the grates
Cover and do not open for 3 – 5 minutes – except if you get heavy smoke i.e. there’s a fire in the bbq
if this happens, use a spray bottle with water to kill the flames, without dousing the bbq flame
After 3 – 5 minutes, check the salmon, stir the potatoes – cover and cook for another few minutes
Check for doneness – Salmon should be moist inside and a nice crust on the outside
Remove to a platter and tent with foil
Remove the potatoes – they should also be done – while hot, sprinkle some more olive oil on top, freshly chopped rosemary, salt and pepper (you could also squeeze half a lemon over the potatoes) and toss lightly to coat

While the fish is marinating in the dry rub, start the potatoes, but before you do that, pour yourself a glass of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, whatever you like and take a sip – it’s been a long day hasn’t it!

Rosemary, Garlic Potatoes
1.5 lbs small potatoes – sliced into rounds about 1/4″ thick
4 tblsp Olive Oil
4 cloves of Garlic – mashed
2 sprigs Rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt, Pepper

(Put down the glass of wine) – Blanch sliced potatoes (or you can use a microwave for about 3 minutes) – potatoes should be partially cooked
While hot, pour the Olive Oil, Garlic and Rosemary, salt and pepper onto the potatoes, toss and cover to cool
If you have a grill pan, put the potatoes onto the grill pan and onto a hot surface of the bbq, if not, just lay the rounds directly onto the grill (you might want to make your slices thicker as well as you don’t want to lose any of them to the bbq)
Cook stirring only when you open to check on the fish – don’t open it too much or you will lose all the heat

And voila – taste a small piece of salmon, season if necessary – salt, pepper, lemon juice, and taste again
As always – enjoy!