Planked Bacon Salmon with Wasabi Cucumber Noodles & Kimchi Sesame
recipe facts
Difficulty level:
medium ◉◉◉◎◎
Quantity for:
4–5 servings
Preparation time:
⧗ individually
Grilling time:
⧗ individually
Grill(s) & Equipment:
• Plancha/grill plate, wooden plank
Ingredients
• 1 salmon fillet (800–1000 g)
• 250 g cane sugar
• 500 g bacon
• 5 cucumbers
• 250 g crème fraîche
• 40 g Kinjirushi wasabi horseradish paste
• 5 g Reingold Kimchi sesame
Stefan: "Salmon is ideal for being refined with a light wood smoke aroma. This works particularly well when prepared on a wooden plank. The planked salmon fillet with bacon scores twice in terms of taste: firstly, through the aromatization with the gentle wood smoke of the plank and secondly through the crispy texture, the hearty seasoning and the umami-rich taste of the bacon."
Wood Planks "Western Red Cedar" XL (2Stück)
preparation
➊ First, slowly fry the bacon on a plancha and fry it until crispy. It should be as dry and crispy as possible. Then chop it with a kitchen knife and mix it with the cane sugar. Only soak the plancha in water for a very short time.
➋ Trim the salmon fillet, check for bones, cut into 200-250 g portions, place on the wooden plank and sprinkle with the crispy bacon-cane sugar mixture.
➌ Grill the plank over high direct heat (approx. 200–250 °C) until it begins to glow and wood smoke rises. Depending on the desired intensity of the smoke flavor, leave it in the direct area of the grill for 2–5 minutes and grill the salmon with the lid closed. Then move to the indirect grill area and grill the salmon until it has a core temperature of around 58 °C. Check the core temperature every now and then with a probe thermometer. As soon as protein starts to emerge, the salmon fillet is cooked. If you want to enjoy your salmon a little more translucent, take it off the grill at 52–54 °C.
➍ For the wasabi cucumber noodles, use a julienne cutter to cut the cucumbers into “noodles” and place them in a bowl. Mix the crème fraîche and wasabi horseradish paste into the sauce and pour over the cucumbers just before serving. Mix everything well and garnish with kimchi sesame seeds. Serve with the salmon.
Stefan's BBQ tip:
"Many manufacturers recommend soaking the plank for a few hours. You can of course do that. But it is not absolutely necessary, as the water always evaporates first before the smoke aroma reaches the food. If you want the smoke on the food immediately, it is therefore advisable to soak the plank for only a very short time."
Recipe by Stefan Pistol
Meat is Stefan Pistol's specialty. He was the youngest master butcher in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and is the owner of Pistol Prime BBQ, a shop for premium meat and grill accessories. Today he also gives BBQ courses as a part-time job.
Recipe from FIRE&FOOD Magazine 04/2024
