Marinade
1 cup Birch Syrup
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp chilli garlic paste (nuoc mam)
1 small piece fresh ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
Small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped coarse
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper
4 cedar planks, soaked in water for 2 -4 hours
4 Tbsp olive oil (EVOO of course, organic is de rigueur)
Basting Sauce
3 Tbsp Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
2 Tbsp Mirin
Mix well, set aside until ready to use
Combine marinade ingredients in a glass or plastic container.
Add fish to marinade, toss to coat evenly, cover and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours.
Note: I wouldn’t marinade for longer than 2 hours, with the lime and white wine the fish will want to cook/cure (ceviche style) and while that wouldn’t kill you it will make the fish firmer to the chew and somewhat less moist after cooking.
After the required marinating time, remove fish from marinade and set on a rack to drain for a few minutes.
Heat grill to high and once hot (3 second hot palm rule) place cedar planks on the grill.
After 1 minute flip the planks over. Reduce heat to medium.
Brush heated cedar planks with olive oil.
Place marinated fish on the oiled planks and close lid.
Cook for 5 - 10 minutes (depends on thickness), baste each piece a couple of times between sneak peaks and when firm to touch remove from heat.
I used my kitchen flame thrower to give a slight char to the glazed tops, but that is optional, nice touch really, but optional.
This will work with any fish, I’m going to use it on salmon or catfish next to see how it works out. You don’t need to cedar plank it either, but it adds additional great flavour if you do. Simply broiling it in the oven or baking it works just fine as well.
Served with Quinoa Beet Salad (see recipe elsewhere on this blog)
Click on the link and go to Snowy Palms Resort for the backstory to this recipe...
Snowy Palms Resort