Cedar Plank Salmon with Garlicky Sugar Snap Peas and Grilled Lemon

I promised, after my glutenous 4th of July weekend, that I would return to a more healthy and summer appropriate meal plan and, after 1 day, I have remained true to my word.  I must admit, after a well balanced and heart healthy meal such as this, I did  feel particularly motivated to continue down this fresh and delightfully delicious culinary course.

If the idea of using a cedar plank at home is a bit daunting or sounds like a bit too much trouble, let me put your concerns to rest!  This method is actually much easier than grilling the fish directly on the grates because the plank is the cooking medium.  There are no worries about flipping the fish in one piece or concerns about it sticking and fusing itself molecularly to the grill.  It infuses the fish with the most wonderful smokey flavor with absolutely no muss or fuss. 

Culinary cedar planks are available at most large supermarkets (usually in the same aisle as grill accessories and charcoal) but, please, make certain you are using a cedar plank for cooking and not one from the home improvement store which may have been chemically treated.  Once you have your cedar plank, the first thing to do, approximately 2 hours before you will be ready to grill, is fill up the kitchen sink and let it soak.  This will encourage the plank to give off copious amounts of smoke which is what will flavor the fish and it will prevent the plank from catching fire and going up in flames. 

Arrange your grill for indirect cooking.  If you are using a gas grill, like me, leave the middle burner off and set the other two to medium high.  Let the grill preheat for about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, remove the cedar plank from the kitchen sink where it was soaking and dry it off.  Remove the skin from the salmon, if it has not been done already and season it with salt and pepper. Place it on the cedar plank with the side where the skin was directly on the plank.  Spread the salmon with a layer of Dijon mustard covering the top and the sides.  Then, sprinkle with an equal amount of brown sugar and top with a thinly sliced lemon wheel.  Simply place the plank directly on the grill over the center where the burner is off.  Let it cook for about 20-30 minutes.  During the last 10 minutes place half of a lemon, cut side down, directly on the grill.  Remove the cedar plank and place it on a heat proof baking sheet, along with the lemon.  You can remove the fish to your plate or, if you choose, it can also be served directly from the cedar plank.  

Serve with sugar snap peas which were quick sauteed in a hot pan with canola oil, hot pepper flakes, and a large minced garlic clove.  Remove from the heat, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and coarse sea salt.  As a finishing touch, be sure to shower your plate with a bit of that wonderfully smokey sweet and tart grilled lemon juice!

This is my entry into the Two for Tuesdays Blog Hop Carnival.  Hop on over to see Heather at girlichef and be sure to visit some of the other great food blogs hosting and contributing to the Real Food movement!