Leslie Williams cooks with a BBQ Plank

Leslie Williams makes with the planks

This has not been a vintage year for the barbecue but a couple of times in the last week I have managed to cook outdoors between the showers using a method long championed in the USA but less seen around these parts.

I have the Butlers Pantry chain of delis (Rathgar in particular) to thank for this as they recently introduced me to plank cooking which is really a combination of hot smoking and barbecuing.  Because all the cooking is done with the lid closed it wont matter if it starts to rain once you have the coals actually lit.

Butlers Pantry have sourced Himalayan Cedar and Oak (costing €3.95 per plank)  which are both grown locally and cut for them by Gerry Farrell Joinery in Sligo.  The Butlers Pantry boards are quite thin – less than a centimetre thick – but you could use thicker non-treated wood planks such as oak, beech or apple if you don't have a BP near you.

I first soaked the wood for 24 hours by weighting it down in a roasting tin filled with water.  Researching online it seems that soaking for just a couple of hours may also suffice, however with the thin planks I suspect the longer you soak it the less chance it has of going on fire and the easier it will be to use.

The next essential is a barbecue with a lid.  I used a standard kettle barbecue and lumpwood charcoal which I started using a small fire-lighter along with some kindling.

Once the flames on the coals had subsided and the charcoal is uniformly hot, simply place the plank onto the metal grill at the lowest setting to the coals and sprinkle with a little sea salt.  You can place the plank directly on the coals as I (mistakenly) did  but there is a much greater risk of the wood catching flame.  After just 4-5 minutes the wood should begin to crackle and be hot enough (depending on the heat of the coals).  Place the seasoned fish or meat on the plank, close the lid, and the cooking should be complete within 12-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet.

You are generally advised to have a spray bottle of water near to hand and I strongly recommend this as once you lift the lid the influx of oxygen can easily cause the plank to catch fire.  The plank should be crackling and smouldering but not flaming as flames will scorch the fish or meat and damage the flavour.

Salmon or any firm piece of fish which you are happy to cook through is the best choice for plank cooking.  The emphasis is on smoking rather than grilling so chicken or pork will also work.

The picture shows salmon slices and chicken breasts that were also bought in Butlers Pantry.  I marinated them both for an hour in olive oil, lemon juice and mint (although the chicken was already vac-packed in a marinade).  You could also add chopped semi-dried tomatoes, pesto or just some fresh herbs.  The texture achieved is exceptionally moist (as you would expect from smoking) and you can taste the wood and sweet smoke.

Lauren in the Butlers Pantry in Clontarf told me that she has cooked scallops, prawns and even a whole brie topped with honey and blueberries using this method.  All the Butlers Pantries are experimenting with new recipes so call in for a chat if you need some advice.

Plank cooking is not particularly suitable for steak or lamb chops that you wish to eat rare.  I did test some steak and it tasted fine but the wood does not get quite hot enough to correctly char the meat on the outside and keep it rare inside.

Finally, and perhaps the best reason of all for plank cooking, you don't have to scrub the grill clean but just let the plank burn on the coals with maybe some rosemary sprigs for extra scent.

www.butlerspantry.ie