Cedar-Planked Salmon With Lemon-Pepper Rub And Horseradish-Chive Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the salmon
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest, minced
1 1/2tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 2-lb. boneless, skin-on salmon fillets (preferably wild and no longer than 15 inches), pin bones removed
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
For the horseradish-chive sauce
1/2 cup creme fraiche
3 Tbs. minced fresh chives
1 1/2 Tbs. prepared horseradish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Soak the cedar planks in water to cover for at least 1 hour. Drain the planks.

Prepare the sauce
In a small bowl, stir the creme fraiche, chives, and horseradish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

Prepare the salmon
In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, thyme, sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 Tbs. pepper. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until the zest is distributed throughout. Rub the salmon fillets on both sides with the olive oil and then set each fillet skin side down on a plank. Sprinkle the fillets with the lemon-pepper mixture, dividing it evenly. Gently rub the seasoning into the fillets. Let stand at room temperature while the grill heats.

Cook the salmon

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill fire for indirect cooking with high heat: On a gas grill, heat all burners on high; then turn off all but one burner just before cooking the salmon; on a charcoal grill, bank the coals to two opposite sides of the grill. Arrange the planks over the cooler part of the grill, positioning them so that the thickest part of the fish is closest to the heat source. Cover the grill and cook until the thickest part of each fillet registers about 135\u00b0F on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 35 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. The planks may smoke a bit (this is fine) and will become very aromatic. Let the fillets rest on the planks for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Cut the salmon fillets crosswise into serving portions and transfer to individual plates. Serve with the sauce.