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HYDE PARK, N.Y. – Add a touch of rustic elegance to your next outdoor gathering with cedar-planked salmon. This dish, which was a favorite of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, offers a smoky, woody flavor and impressive presentation.

The Culinary Institute of America’s updated version replaces the president’s preferred white sauce with a simple, blended butter enhanced with intense flavorings and fresh herbs. The result is a rich, flavorful dish, ideal for entertaining.

Plank cooking, or planking, is not exactly a new cooking technique – the act of preparing food on a piece of wood has been around for years. American Indians were early users of the method.

The process used then, tying the food to a wood plank with cedars strips and attaching the plank to a stake in the ground in front of an open fire, is quite different from the method used by most cooks today.

Doing it the CIA’s way, salmon is positioned in the middle of a wood plank, which is then placed directly on a preheated grill.

There is no need to nail down the salmon since the plank lies horizontally on top of the grill.

“Planking is an effortless way to cook for a crowd,” explains Bill Phillips, associate professor in culinary arts at institute.

“The trick is to soak the planks in cold water overnight to keep them from smoldering or catching fire while on the grill. For variety, use hickory, mesquite, or even fruit tree wood, like apple or cherry. Be sure not to use treated woods from the lumber store.”

You may be able to find small, thin planks that are perfect for individual servings. Wooden planks can be found at most specialty kitchen stores, and, while they don’t last forever, you should be able to get more than one cooking session from them.

Beside the wood flavor imparted by the plank, flavored butters add a tasty punch to the salmon. These flavored butters, also known as compound butters, are easy to make by blending herbs and spices into softened butter.

The three flavoring combinations featured with the salmon in this recipe are just one example. Try adding minced sun-dried tomatoes and pesto to the butter. Olives, capers, fresh herbs of all types, citrus zest, spices and horseradish are all excellent choices, too.

Compound butter can be handled in a number of different ways once it is blended. Simply pack it into a small crock or bowl to use as a spread, or pipe the butter into rosettes (about one tablespoon each) onto a lined plate or baking sheet, then refrigerate or freeze the rosettes until firm.

One efficient option is to shape the butter into a cylinder. Cut a large sheet of plastic wrap. Mound the butter about three inches away from one of the long sides of the wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over the mound and then tighten the wrap around the butter. Use a straight edge, such as a ruler, to tighten the cylinder to keep the diameter of the log even. Once rolled, twist the ends to press out any remaining air pockets and seal the wrap around the butter.

Chill the butter until it is firm enough to slice.

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Cedar-Planked Salmon

INGREDIENTS