Potlucks and Plank-Grilled Salmon

The potluck: a great idea…unless you’re a control freak.

I can completely understand the appeal of hosting a potluck. Everyone else brings a dish, leaving you to concentrate on your other host duties. To be sure, there is always a lot to do when hosting a party, and not having to deal with the food can be a huge plus. Unless, I’ll say it again, you’re a control freak. (You may have guessed by now that I am.)

It would be nearly impossible for me to hand over the food reins to my guests. It makes me nervous just thinking about all the ways things could go wrong. What if the dishes didn’t go well together? What if everyone brought the same dish? What if someone slated for a main dish didn’t show? What if there wasn’t enough food? I could go on. There are those types of people out there who are much less high-strung than I am and who would be perfectly at ease if four plates of pigs-in-blankets showed up. But I am decidedly NOT that person. (And I'll admit that I’m a little jealous of those laid-back people.)

The "after" plank - burn, baby burn...

So, although I will probably not be having a potluck anytime soon, I was happy to contribute this spicy barbecued salmon dish to the gojee virtual potluck. Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors are sharing by going to gojee.com and entering “gojeepotluck” into the I Crave field.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.

Pineapple-Jalapeno Plank-Grilled Salmon

Serves 2-4

1-2 pounds salmon fillets

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1 tablespoon hot chili oil

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 jalapeno, chopped

4 leaves pineapple sage* (optional)

1-2 cedar planks

Soak cedar planks in water for 2 hours.

Whisk together pineapple juice, chili oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, and pineapple sage (if using). Marinate salmon in mixture for 1 hour.

Remove salmon from marinade and pour marinade into a small saucepan. Boil rapidly for at least 5 minutes. Continue to boil and reduce if a thicker sauce is desired.

Heat barbecue to about 450 degrees. Prior to placing salmon on planks, season (heat) planks on barbecue according to manufacturer directions.

Place salmon on seasoned planks, skin side down. Close barbecue lid, but watch for flare-ups. (Spray plank with a water bottle if flare-ups occur.)

Cook salmon to desired doneness, 15-20 minutes, depending on size of fillets. (One 12-ounce fillet cooked for about 18 minutes.) Salmon should come off plank easily and skin may remain on the plank.

Serve salmon with sauce spooned over the top.

*Note: Do NOT substitute regular sage for pineapple sage.

Using a cedar plank is one of my favorite ways to cook salmon. It’s low and slow, which leaves the fish tender and moist. The wood imparts a scent and flavor to the fish that you can’t get any other way and when combined with the sweetness and spiciness of this dish, it makes for a fantastic result.