grilled planked whitefish

after a recent trip up north this week, i decided to prepare grilled planked whitefish at home last night for a memorial day barbecue dinner.  the cedar planks can be purchased at any cooking shop, and are very inexpensive, since they can only be used once and must be discarded.

first, soak the planks in a sink of water, for at least four hours.  i used a cast iron pot lid to weigh the planks down in the sink.

the planks absorb the water and this prevents them from burning on the grill, and also allows them to steam cook the fish.  next, prepare the whitefish.  i used lemon pepper and herb seasoning, and a bit of parsley after spraying them with canola oil.

place the planks on the warm grill, close the cover and allow to begin to smoke.  then, turn the planks over and brush with grape seed or olive oil.  place the fish, skin side down first, and close the grill cover, cooking for about 12 minutes.  then, open the grill, turn the fish over on the planks and continue to grill until done.  total cooking time should be about 25 minutes.  we moved the planks off of the direct heat to the sides of the coals after the first 1/2 of the cooking process.  the fish will be flaky and white throughout the body, and begin to separate from the skin when done.

this whole fish provides for four generous servings.  served with a salsa, such as grilled green and red peppers with onions, or grilled chopped pineapple with white onions, and a side of greens makes a tasty dinner.  also, good with corn on the cob or grilled small red potatoes.