Recipes including wild ingredients you can forage are not only possible but incredibly tasty! Let’s dive into this succulent West Coast Cedar-Plank Salmon dish.
Finding a balance of ‘healthy vs delicious’ in your diet can seem like a challenge, but if we look at the indigenous cuisine of Native Americans, we can see it’s very possible to achieve.
What makes the West Coast Cedar-Planked Salmon dish so special, lies in the wood of the cedar. Originating from Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest, salmon was tied to a piece of cedar wood with string. Placed close enough to the fire’s flame that the salmon would cook, but not burn the wood – this process created a special infused flavor. The moisture from the wood cooks with the salmon, creating a wonderful blend of flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pounds) West Coast salmon fillet
- 1 cedar grilling board
- 2 tbsp of grain/mild mustard
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup/honey
- 1 tsp of crushed/finely diced rosemary
- 1 tbsp of lemon zest, grated
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- ½ tsp of pepper
Directions
- Take your cedar grilling board and soak it in water for a minimum of 2 hours, keeping it fully immersed.
- If cooking with a charcoal grill, prepare the direct cooking heat to about a medium/hot level and open the vents on the bottom and lid. For a gas cooker/oven, prepare your cooking heat to a medium/high temperature.
- Mix together your mustard, rosemary, lemon zest, honey/syrup, salt, and pepper – and spread the mix on the flesh-side of the salmon, and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Place salmon on the board face-side down, cover with a lid or close over, and cook for about 13-15 minutes, or until the salmon is evenly cooked ad has started to brown on the edges.
- And lastly, let your salmon sit on the board for 5 minutes before serving.

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