Plank Grilled Cod on Bruschetta - Episode 2 in the "Just Gotta' Have It Series"

• Take an alder plank;
• Soak it for a couple of hours;
• Slap plank on grill until there's grill marks on one side
• Flip plank over;
• Add an olive oil brushed piece of cod;
• Season with salt and pepper
• Close grill cover and let rip for 11 minutes;
• Set table;
• Pour wine;
• Plate on hunk of grilled artisan bread, all crispy and crunchy;
• Cover with fresh heirloom tomato bruschetta;
• Ring dinner bell!

Sounds easy doesn't it? Well it is when you've got the JBug's Kitchen duo working in tandem.The result - an impressive, fresh, relatively low calorie, delicious, garlic laden incredibly moist summer flavored plate of colorful goodness.

Plank cooking is perfect for those of us who love the smokey taste in food but don't have the patience to wait the time it takes to smoke meat or fish in the traditional way. It's also an ideal method of adding more flavor into food cooked over a gas barbecue - you know how you sometimes miss that good old "charcoal" flavor? The real bonus is how incredibly moist the finished product becomes. The fish was really "swimming" in juices and it was evenly cooked all the way through. In fact, one piece was slightly thicker than the other and they were equally cooked throughout. Now how does one account for that?

Once again our source for the wood - Cost Plus World Market, and no they're not paying me to say this; however, check the internet under "grilling planks for barbecue" and/or your local barbecue speciality store for your nearest source.

Plank Grilled Cod on Bruschetta (adapted from  Bon Appetit)

2 alder wood planks, soaked in water for 3 hours

Olive oil

1 pound cod fillets about 1 inch thick

Salt and pepper

 

Place soaked planks on medium hot to hot grill, indirect method until planks are grill marked on one side. Flip over and brush with olive oil. Brush cod with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place fillets directly onto wood planks, cover grill and cook for 11 minutes. When done, remove fish from plank and plate onto prepared artisan bread, topped with bruschetta. Serves 2.

Bruschetta:

1/2 pound mini assorted heirloom tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

3 anchovy fillets, minced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 half inch slices of artisan bread, coated in olive oil and grilled until crisp

Combine tomatoes, onion, anchovy, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and basil in a small bowl and let rest at room temperature for half an hour to allow flavors to develop.  Download Plank Grilled Cod on Bruschetta

 

 

Comments

[Mary from Apron Strings & Wedding Rings]

What a fabulous seafood recipe June!

[June]

Thank you Mary. Plank cooking yields unbelievably flavorful moist food - for sure. We can't wait to expand on our repertoire.

[Nanan]

I would do that with some local Gulf fish! Yum!

[June]

Lea - any firm white fish will work and so would some of those gorgeous big shrimp! Yum for sure!