Forget The Cedar. This Zesty 'Plank' Gives Grilled Salmon All The Flavor It Needs

If you enjoy grilling, you've probably heard of grilling salmon on a cedar plank. This imparts the fish with a complex, smoky flavor which nicely complements the taste of the fish — after all, there's a reason why smoked salmon is such a popular food. The plank also makes it much easier to place the salmon on the grill, without worrying about it flaking and falling onto the coals. But if you can't get hold of a plank (or if you just feel like a change), you may want to try a different version of this grilling style, using orange slices.

Doing this is exactly as easy as you might think. Cut up some oranges into slices, around half an inch thick, and lay them out on your grill, making sure they cover enough area to support your entire salmon fillet. Then you can simply grill the fish in the same way you usually would, with whichever seasonings or glazes you prefer. The orange slices also do the same job as a plank, preventing the fish from sticking, which can otherwise be a quick way to accidentally ruin your dinner.

Cooking fish over citrus works with a few different cooking styles, and when grilling, it gives a different finish to cedar wood. The acidic fruit juice reacts with the proteins, helping to "cook" the fish just like making ceviche, while heat from the grill also cooks it in the usual way. This makes the finished salmon beautifully tender, while the citrus also neutralizes any more "fishy" flavors to give a bright overall taste.

Fish and lemon is a flavor pairing most of us will recognize, in no small part because people have been cooking seafood this way for centuries. By extension, orange can pair just as well with fish, because orange and lemon contain similar volatile flavor compounds, meaning that from a gastronomical perspective, the two can be used in very similar ways in the kitchen, although oranges contain more sugar. When grilling, this means the orange will caramelize, giving a light smoky taste, while also adding sweetness where the salmon rests.

Lift up the taste of this combination even further, you can use seasonings which pair well with salmon, such as soy sauce, black pepper, ginger, thyme, or cardamom. Conveniently, many of the flavors that pair with salmon also pair with orange, which also goes nicely with things like chives, oregano, turmeric, macadamia, or cinnamon, and would work well with a side salad made with peppery arugula. 

To amp up the sweetness, you could try a glaze with maple, brown sugar, or even chocolate. It may sound bizarre at first, but chocolate and salmon is a flavor pairing that works surprisingly well, while chocolate and orange is already a classic. You could try adding a little cocoa powder to your seasoning mix, or bring some Mexican flavor with mole poblano for a spicy twist — the taste of chili peppers pairs well with all three of these flavors, making it a good addition to the mix. Don't forget to sprinkle a little zest from the oranges over your fish, for an extra flavor boost.