Grilled Maple-Chili Salmon

This was my play on words for our most recent Dinner Club.  We grilled our salmon up on cedar planks so called it Cedar PLANKed Salmon to go along with the pirate theme.  It was Chris and my first time using cedar planks so we're just glad it didn't catch fire on the the grill :D.  I LOVED the way that this dish turned out.  The flavor was fantastic and I will for sure be making this again.

We bought a gigantic 2.7 pound wild salmon filet from Costco and the maple syrup that I used came from one of our new Dinner Club members, Delia.  She hails from the border of NY and VT so gets some of the best maple syrup.  Scott was skeptical when he saw me drizzling it on as the finishing touch.  I could see it in his eyes lol.  But I think it's safe to say he's converted.  The sweet, smokey, and savory is a wonderful combination.  A total hit!  And if you don't have a cedar plank, no worries, you can do without it and Shawnda from Confections of a Foodie Bride says she and her husband actually prefer it that way.

See the rest of our Pirate themed menu at our Dinner Club blog.  Since we've renewed the club by saying goodbye to two couples due to relocation and welcomed two new ones, we're going to try to make an effort to do a better job of updating the blog :).

Grilled Maple-Chili Salmon


Yields: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb salmon, cut into 3-4 fillets
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp creole mustard (or any spicy brown mustard)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 tsp maple syrup

Directions

1. If using, soak the cedar plank per the manufacturer instructions.
2. Stir together the dry ingredients and then stir in the olive oil and mustard.
3. Spread the rub over the top and sides of the fillets and let sit while the grill heats.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high.  Place fish on the soaked plank and cook for ~15 minutes, until the fish flakes and the internal temperature reaches 140.  If not using the plank, place skin side down and cook 8-10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and immediately drizzle each fillet with ~1 tsp of maple syrup.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride