Outdoor Gourmet: Oven-Planked Cranberry Crusted Salmon

Hardcore grilling is sorta my thing- bring on the blizzards and drizzle be damned! I will the wind to stop me!

Ok, combating the elements isn’t always my thing… sometime I wimp out. Now is one of those times. Firing up the grill during this torrential downpour is much less appealing than just staying inside and listening to NPR.

Fortunately, grilling planks is for weather wimps too. Yes, our name is OUTDOOR Gourmet, but today, I am an indoor gourmet.

Today, I am going to mod a recipe by one of my favorite radio personalities.

They say laughter is the best medicine- and Dr. Zorba’s distinctive chortle is one of the most recognizable laughs there is. He also has a great collection of Heart-Healthy Recipe s, which goes right along with our healthy grilling mission.

Let me step on my soapbox for a moment: Planking is an extremely healthy method of preparing food because no additional oil or butter is needed in the cooking process. It infuses food with moisture and flavor, while sparing the extra calories and fat of other methods. Cedar Grilling Planks are also an excellent way to serve, plate and display delicate fish that may otherwise be overcooked or fall apart when placed directly on the grill.

Dr. Zorba’s Oven-Planked Cranberry Crusted Salmon

Ingredients

1 large fillet of Salmon

2 tablespoons Stone Ground or Dijon Mustard

¼ cup fresh Bread Crumbs

¼ cup dried Cranberries, rough chopped

½ chopped Green Onion

1 tablespoons Butter, melted

2 teaspoons fresh Thyme, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Lemon Zest

Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne to taste

1 bunch Asparagus, rinsed and ends snapped off

3 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Blood Orange, half juiced, the other half sliced in rounds

Directions

First: Soak 2 Outdoor Gourmet 6x12 Cedar Grilling Planks in water for 1 hour or more. Thaw salmon in cold water, if frozen. Preheat oven to 375°.

Place: Asparagus in an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with olive oil, blood orange juice, salt, fresh ground pepper, and top with blood orange rounds.

Next: Toss breadcrumbs, cranberries, green onion, melted butter, thyme and lemon peel in the food processor. Give it a quick whirl.

Then: Cut salmon filet to fit planks and season with S+P. Place salmon on soaked plank skin side down. Rub a layer of mustard over each filet. Divide breadcrumb mixture evenly over salmon filets.