BY TED READER
Photography by Mike McColl, Courtesy of Key Porter Books

Cooking on planks originated in the Pacific Northwest. It was a common practice of the Native Haida people of this region. The Haida would strap a whole salmon between two cedar boards, place it on the hot coals of a bonfire, and slow roast their meals.

I have planked between 3,000 and 5,000 planks annually for the past eight years and I have more than a few new tricks, techniques, and recipes up my sleeve. Plank grilling is such an easy way to cook: there’s no turning, flipping or fussy cleanup. Essentially planking is a hot, fast way to smoke foods without needing to own a smoker.

Editor’s note: The preceding is an excerpt from Ted Reader’s introduction to his new book, Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Plank Grilling (Key Porter Books Limited, Toronto, Ontario, 2009).

RECIPES

Fig’n Delicious Figs

Planked Thai Rack of Lamb

Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning

© Edible Toronto, Summer 2009
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