How To Cook Salmon

Learn how to cook salmon for a healthy special meal with friends or family. Grilled salmon is great paired with a simple salad and baked potato. Look for cedar planks suitable for cooking salmon at a local store with outdoor grilling accesories. Choose a 1-inch-thick cedar plank that won't burn or warp while grilling. Follow the package directions for soaking the cedar plank. A properly soaked plank is less likely to burn and will produce good smoke.

The cedar will impart a subtle smokiness to the salmon as it grills.

Items needed to cook salmon:

• Cedar plank
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon mesquite smoked sea salt or table salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 (2-pound) wild salmon fillet, skin on, or Atlantic or farm-raised salmon

Steps to cook salmon:

1. Soak the cedar plant in water according to its package instructions. Drain the plank after soaking.
2. Combine the sugar and the next three ingredients in a small bowl.  Rub this blend of seasonings over the fleshy side of the salmon. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the prepared cedar plank. Lightly coat the cedar plank with cooking spray if the salmon filet is skinless.
3. Heat grill to medium high heat (350 to 400 degrees F). Cook salmon, on the cedar plank, in the heated grill for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the salmon flakes with a fork. Cook the salmon fillet with the grill lid down to contain the smoke. Be sure to use good oven mitts when removing the cedar plank from the grill and place the plank on a heatsafe surface.

This recipe yields approximately six servings.