Maple Glazed Salmon

I just love thinking about what I am going to make and how I use what I already have in the house.  I, also, really like to see what my fellow food bloggers are doing and what they have come up with.  If I have an idea for a recipe I want to make but have never made anything like it, I start by googling.  I certainly look at the Food Network, Epicurious, All Recipes and so on but I prefer to see how food bloggers put it together.  With that said, I had cedar planks that were graciously provided to my by Dirk at Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop.  Like a number of food bloggers, I am sure when you go to smaller joints, restaurants, that you want to talk to the chef or proprietor.  I sure do.  So my trip to Dirk’s for lunch was a great experience and I really enjoyed seeing Dirk’s passion for his craft.  He very generously shared his story and when I left these cedar planks.

Now I do not remember where I got the idea for this glaze (or I would share it) but my process is that I usually look around for some ideas and then roll with the basics and put it together the way I would like to eat it.  In this recipe, I used maple syrup and brandy for the marinade.  This Maple Glazed Salmon was topped with a mango and orange purée and served on a celery root purée. Sounds pretty advanced even to me.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs salmon
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup pure Maple Syrup
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 2 mangoes
• 2 orange
•  1/8 cup Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 orange concentrate

Directions:

Start by soaking the cedar plank in water for 2 hours.  Meanwhile, combine the maple syrup and the brandy.  Mix well.  Then, put it all over the salmon and put it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Turn your grill on to medium heat.  Take the cedar plank out of the water and take the salmon out of the marinade.  Start by placing the salmon flesh side down on the plank.

Simply put the plank right on top of the grates and let it start doing its thing.

Check the fish after 5 minutes or so.  Once the plank is starting to brown and the fish is starting to char, turn it over to complete the cooking process.

I found with the plank that it took longer to cook the fish than it normally would if I put the fish directly on the grill.  I cooked the fish for 15 minutes or so.  You will have to judge it yourself for doneness depending on the thickness of the fish and the heat of your grill.  Here is a link to a celery puree recipe I have made and liked.  For the mango purée, peel the mangoes and oranges and roughly chop.  In a mixer, combine the mangoes, oranges, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and the concentrate.  Puree until fully mixed together and pretty smooth.  To plate the dish, place the purée on the plate, next add the salmon and then finish by adding the mango orange purée.

Serve and enjoy!