Y’All know that Jack’s brother is a seafaring type and lives down in the Antipodes, specifically New Zealand. His long haired mate, CanadaShell, recently had a birthday and Jim wanted to make a celebration of it and invite some other close friends. The chosen feature dish was cedar planked salmon. Now this is pretty hard to keep as a surprise with a true blue Canadian, as you don’t usually soak cedar planks in a tub before you nail them up as siding. What follows here is the account of the dinner that was assembled with much care.
So lets pipe the kitchen crew aboard and get underway. Bosun, pipe the cooks aboard please ..
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Canadian Planked Salmon Indiana Jim Style
• California Rolls sushi topped with black caviar
• Steamed Calico Clams, with Steamed Banana Prawn on top
• Herbed Butter Dip
• Planked King Salmon (Atlantic)
• Pan-fried asparagus in garlic honey butter
• Pum-tato mash
• Crisp red cabbage with pickle slices in special salad dressing.
Sushi Rolls
The Sushi Rolls were made with steamed rice (Tamanishiki or Koshihikari is good) with a touch of sugar added, to help ‘stick’ the rice together. Crab, pickle slices and avocado were all rolled with the seaweed paper on the inside, sliced and arranged on the serving plate. These were then topped with a squiggle of Japanese mayonnaise and a good dollop of black caviar (Russian Sevruga) completed the dish. Dipping bowls were prepared with Soy sauce and Wasabi.
Clams
The clams were washed and sorted, placed in a deep steamer with salted water, dusted with thyme and set to steam. These only take about 5-10 mins once you have a head of steam up. Discard any that don’t open.
For the dip, 2 tbsps of melted butter was added to a quarter cup of the steamer broth. Red pepper flakes and finely chopped green onions can be added for extra flavor. Serve right away whilst hot.
Banana Prawns (Shrimp)
The prawns (direct from the trawler in Queensland) were shelled, leaving the head and tail on. Set in a shallow steamer basket and steamed for about 10-15 minutes till fully white flesh. These were served direct on top of the individual bowls of clams.
Planked Salmon
The cedar planks (un-treated cedar please!) are prepared the day before by completely soaking in a tub of water. Weigh them down so that the entire plank is under water. IndianaJim used 6"X3/4" seasoned cedar. Place the planks in the BBQ, sprinkle with rock sea salt, set the burners on high and light up. Have a spray bottle of water ready to quell the flames around the edges of the boards as they heat up. Fire and smoke is normal here.
The Salmon
You will need a good sized portion for each plate you are serving (1/2 lb (250g) per person is good) This version was left au-naturel, no seasoning, as the cedar and the smoke are very hard to mimic. Place each portion on the plank skin side down on the cedar. Close the lid on your BBQ, and watch as you transform the fish into a truly unique tasting delight.
Pum-tato
Peel enough potatoes and at least 3 good wedges of pumpkin (winter squash), hard skin removed. Slice all into small pieces and place in a pressure cooker (or just boil). When done, add butter and mash the lot together. Viola! Pum-Tato
Asparagus
Select small stems of asparagus, cut to about 6" (150mm) and place in a medium skillet with butter and a liberal sprinkle of garlic salt. Fry till just cooked. Move them frequently to prevent burning and sticking. A little care here as the tips are broken off easily. Serve hot.
Crisp Red Cabbage
The cabbage was thinly sliced and placed in a bowl. Green pickles were sliced thin and all mixed together with a good dash of dressing. (Indiana Jim used Greek dressing) Place in refrigerator and keep cold till ready to serve.
The Dinner
Preparation for this dinner took around 4 hours. It all comes together nicely and quickly as the steamers all complete at the same time. The pum-tato can be prepped and let stand, as it will stay hot for some time left in the pot covered.
The salmon kind of decides when all comes together, however we served the sushi then the clams and washed this al down with a chilled Vicar’s Choice, 2009 Sauvignon Blanc by Saint Clair Family Estate. Full fruity flavors with a crisp finish, truly suited to the dinner.
Well Gourmet Jack, there you have it mate. Everyone involved in the eating of this dinner and especially the guest of honor gave it a 11+ out of 10. Not too shabby eh?
Indiana Jim
New Zealand
