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Cooking on a vessel is a delight, and can make for some good memories. Cooking aboard does not need to be canned tuna and sandwiches. Let me show how to cook a gourmet seafood meal that will impress your visitors. Planked grilled fish on board the vessel, the Patricia Ann; it's the chatter on the docks as of late. Planked grilled fish or simply grilling on a wooden plank is a great event; if you like the taste and smell of smoked meats, this method is for you. This technique is remarkable as it gives you real smoke for flavor. This is particularly good if you are grilling fish fillets, my favorite. As a matter of fact, legend has it that this approach to grilling materialized as a result of fish cooking experimentation. But I think you could cook any food this method. I like to identify this method as planked grilled fish. Salmon and Mahi cooked on cedar are my favorites. You can find the recipes for each of the fish at our recipe page. So how do you go about it? To start you'll want to get some clean cedar wood, Lowes and Home Depot have it in their lumber departments. But you'll have to cut it into the correct sizes to use. Or you can also purchase it ready to use at nearly all sizeable grocery chains or order on the internet. Typically I use cedar, but various woods like oak, maple, cherry or hickory are obtainable. Using a clean, untreated section of wood about 1/2 inch thick and long and wide enough to hold the fish fillets, soak the wood in water for several hours prior to use. I use a piece about 6 x 6 for the two of us. Although any wood can be utilized, just make sure that there are no chemicals on the wood. When set, get your gas grill going. I use a Magma Catalina gas grill on my boat so I'll illustrate that method. To prevent your fish from sticking to the wood, brush the fillet with olive oil. You'll do no flipping or turning when plank fish grilling. The fish is heated indirectly from the bottom up. Flavor the fish as you prefer, again check out my recipe page. As you know wood burns. We are going to position the piece of wood with the fish on the lower grill surface and set the control to high. If you observe that the plank has caught fire while you are cooking, don't worry, it's the method we would like it to cook. Spray it down with water to help extinguish the fire. But let it burn a bit around the sides; the smoldering of the burnt plank is what makes the smoke and flavors the fish. I at all times allow about fifty percent more food preparation time versus regular grilling when I am cooking on a board. During the grilling phase you can baste the fish with herbs if preferred. Once the fish is completed I remove the fish with a spatula or you can just slide the fish off onto a plate. Turn off the grill and let the used board sit until later to allow it to cool. Plank grilling is really a great way to grill fish. The smoke adds to the flavors of any fish so feel free to test different types of fish and wood. Mike Dickens, the author, is a live aboard boat owner and owner/Broker of Paradise Yachts in Florida USA. Paradise Yachts offers used quality yachts to customers worldwide. 904/556-9431 Visit the Paradise Yachts website to view our selection of Used Trawlers, Used Motor Yachts, and Used Sailboats for Sale
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