Planking is making a comeback, but not in the form of a viral video challenge. Planking is an indigenous form of cooking used in the Americas by native tribes to cook fish, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, where tribes would nail entire salmon to boards before cooking them slowly over a fire. Planking is now experiencing a modern renaissance, aided by a resurgence in the popularity of fire cooking, an appreciation of the story behind a meal, and unique plating.
Pre-soak an untreated slab of wood and place it on the grill. The wood ensures that the heat is distributed evenly, and the wood can be soaked in anything you feel will add character to the dish. While planking is traditionally done with fish, Dina Guillen, author of Plank Grilling: 75 Recipes for Infusing Food, said that anything that works well with low and slow cooking would benefit from the plank treatment. “Plank grilling elevates most meat dishes with the infusion of wood and smoke flavours,” she said. The item being cooked can be paired with the type of plank in order to create new taste sensations. Salmon works well with cedar, while chicken and maple wood and pork and apple wood also offer distinct character.
Being wood, food can be served to the customer directly on the plank, adding an extra element to the dining experience. Wood planks can be used more than once and are relatively inexpensive, and will add a highly-Instagrammable offering to any menu.
