Wood plank cooking

[Jerald P]

I found some info about cooking on a wood plank. The wood is supose to flavor the food without burning. The wood plank is supose to sit in a pan of water for baking or soaked with water for grilling. Has anyone heard anything about cooking on a wood plank?

[dmun]

Plank cooking is good for things, like fish, that tend to fall apart on the grill.

Don't use softwood like pine or fir because it is more likely to dry out and combust, and also it will flavor your food with pine pitch.

[ColonelCorn76]

I've used a cedar shake (bought a bundle of 2nds from the lumber store) for fish. Soaked it overnight in water and then laid the fish on it (salmon). Cooked it in the oven with the fire around it. (Traditionally this kind of cooking was done over a grill or coals.) Gotta keep a close eye on it or it can catch fire (the fish, not so much the plank) if it's oily.

[Alf]

The two best species of wood for culinary use are Beach and Sycamore as there are the least likely to combust in the oven. My partner Barbara makes peels from Sycamore with Ash handles and cake squares and rectangles from Beach and Sycamore.

[Jerald P]

I have used maple to cook fish fungus and vegtables. I had fun with the maple planks I purchased at my local lumber suplier. I steamed talapia with onions peppers and oil under a tent of foil. I roasted some portabellos with langastiens and garlic with citrius olive oil and some asparagus with olive oil. This was fun and the food was preaty good. My guests liked the food served right off the plank. I think I'll keep trying...