Here’s an ancient, indigenous cooking method that’s been swept up in the quest for the latest, hottest, most flavorful grilling methods possible. Early records show that Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest used to pin whole salmon to wood boards, then cook them slowly over a fire. Now modern chefs are rediscovering the benefits plank grilling can have for texture and flavor. It’s an easy-prep method that reduces the possibility of sticking or scorching. And of course, there’s the fun and drama of making a straight-from-the-grill tableside presentation of the finished dish.

Flavor on fire

Anything that does well with low and slow cooking, from delicate fish to imported brie, is a great candidate for this technique. “Plank grilling elevates most meat dishes with the infusion of wood and smoke flavors,” says Dina Guillen, author of Plank Grilling: 75 Recipes for Infusing Food. She’s also a proponent of planking pizza on the grill, which she says replicates the taste of a wood-burning oven.

Chef John Howie owns five Puget Sound-area restaurants and is an expert on plank cooking. The author of The Cedar Plank Cookbook, he tells his story this way: “In the late 1990s, I started experimenting with cooking planks. I was intrigued by this method of cooking as it gave us a tie to the Northwest Native Americans and was a simple, yet flavorful and healthy way to cook. Chef Garrett Cho and I worked on perfecting a great salmon recipe…which quickly became one of our bestselling entrées.

What is it?

Let’s define some terms before heading off to the grill. A “plank” is usually just a thin slice of untreated hardwood that is pre-soaked, placed directly on the grill, and used to hold food and distribute heat evenly. One highly popular wood-food combination is cedar planks and salmon, which forms a flavor combination made in grilling heaven. But don’t overlook other possibilities, such as maple wood with chicken, apple wood with pork, or hickory wood with beef.

There are even more flavor possibilities as you select the soaking medium for your plank. Instead of water, consider tea, beer, wine or fruit juice. And if there’s no grill handy, never mind—the oven can work, too. Another fun option is wood paper, such as cedar or alder wraps, which create juicier, moister protein without any direct flame.

However you plank it, you’ll be able to add an on-trend item with little up-front equipment costs to your menu, since planks are relatively inexpensive and can be used more than once. As a bonus, diners will enjoy having a unique spin on a traditional cooking method for your most on-trend and creative dishes.

Read more

How to Grill a Salmon on a Cedar Plank
Guide to Grilling: Planking

Recipes

Recipes to Eat off Wooden Planks (a.k.a. The Bon Appetit  #PlankChallenge), including Cedar-Planked Shrimp With Chipotle-Pumpkin Seed Salsa and Grilled Corvina
BBQ Planked Salmon recipe by Elizabeth Karmel, author of Taming the Flame: Secrets for Hot-and-Quick Grilling and Low-and-Slow BBQ, in Food & Wine magazine

These aren’t planked?

Try preparing any of these salmon dishes

In a dining environment where everyone is gaga for fresh, clean flavors, salads are an especially of-the-moment dining choice. But they have a rich and storied history, as well. These days, classic 20th century salads have been reinvented, reimagined and reinvigorated in exciting new ways.

Caesar

Right up there with “omelet” as one of the most frequently misspelled menu items, Caesar Salad was created in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924, by Italian-American restaurateur Caesar Cardini. The original version included Romaine lettuce, garlic, croutons, Parmesan cheese, soft-boiled eggs, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. (Cardini’s brother, Alex, was inspired to add anchovies a bit later.)

Fresh take: “Croutons are such an essential element of a Caesar salad, so that’s a good place to include your own creative twists,” says cookbook author Robin Asbell. Instead of using bread-based croutons, she suggests cubing veggies like parsnips or sweet potatoes, adding spices, roasting them at high heat and sprinkling them on a finished salad. Asbell makes a “California Caesar” with avocado, daikon radish and crab or sashimi-grade tuna. “I slice a California roll on top in place of traditional croutons.”

Wedge

Iceberg lettuce, that mid-century mainstay, is having a bit of a moment these days thanks to renewed diner appetite for the classic Wedge Salad. It was a ubiquitous menu item through the 1960s, and it did a great job of playing on the key strength of Iceberg lettuce – its sturdy, unwilting crunch power. By the 1970s, though, diners began to move on to more exotic greens, and Iceberg lost favor with foodies. The rise of high-end steakhouses has propelled the return of the classic wedge: cold, crunchy lettuce paired with rich, creamy blue cheese dressing.

Fresh take: Iceberg isn’t the only vegetable that works well in a wedge format, Asbell says. “A wedge of roasted red cabbage can be topped with traditional blue cheese dressing or a zingy aioli. The wedge holds its shape very well, and it’s a salad that’s appreciated by diners on low-carb or Paleo diets.”

Cobb

Food historians argue about the details, but it’s most likely that this salad was created at Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, where it became a signature dish in the 1930s. If you ever want to remember all the ingredients of the classic version, just tell yourself to “EAT COBB”: egg, avocado, tomato, chicken, onion, bacon and blue cheese are the traditional toppings.

Fresh take: “You can add just about anything you want and still call it a Cobb Salad,” Asbell says. “Just remember that it works best if you layer contrasting colors next to each other. Try a diagonal layout, or a vertically layered one, for visual interest.”

Marzetti^® tip

T. Marzetti^® Foodservice has The Original Caesar Dressing created by Mr. Caesar Cardini. It’s a great base for chefs who want to create their own version of a Caesar House Specialty.

Marzetti^® Clean Label dressings provide imaginative, healthy flavor and bring classic salads up-to-date.

Resources

Robin Asbell

Great Bowls of Food: Grain Bowls, Buddha Bowls, Broth Bowls, and More, by Robin Asbell

Read more

Flavor in Focus: Spinning Salads

Recipes

Heritage Chicken Salad
Southwest Cobb Salad
Frontera Wedge Salad
Southwest Steak Wedge Salad
Stacked Salad

Looking for more recipe ideas and menu inspiration?
Make sure to check out our recipe section.