Pomegranate Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon

The Mid East meets the Northwest! Pomegranate Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon is a fusion of Middle Eastern flavors and gives it an American Northwestern flair! Enjoy the sweet pomegranate, nutty flavor of the walnuts with mint and a touch of spice, over a bright crisp salad! Cooked on a ceder plank that infuses a smoked cedar flavor to give this meal an insanely unique taste that will have you running out to the store to make this again and again!

Pomegranate Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon

I love many different cuisines, but one of my favorites is Mediterranean food! There is so much variety and diversity and most of it (to me at least) is absolutely delicious!

Nuts, fish, mint, and pomegranates have been staples in that region all the way back to Bible times and when Pharaohs ruled Egypt. Much of the flavor profile for this Pomegranate Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon is thousands of years old. And let me tell you . . . once you’ve made this, you’ll know why! But there’s a twist . . . the cedar plank!

I don’t know who actually came up with cooking food on a plank of wood, but cedar plank grilling is attributed to American Indians from the Northwest United States. Regardless of where it comes from, it’s awesome!

Cooking with a Cedar Plank

Grilling on a cedar plank steams the food from underneath and infuses a mild cedar flavor to the food. You can cook anything on it – pork, beef, fish, seafood, veggies, whatever. But you will most commonly see it used with salmon! The earthy tones from the cedar work so well with salmon. Really, you can take almost any salmon dish that you roast in the oven and transfer it to grilling it on a cedar plank.

Soak the cedar plank in water for 30 minutes to an hour. The packaging usually will tell you how long to soak it. Be sure to submerge it completely. Use whatever  you have handy to weigh it down. I use my mortar from my mortar and pestle set to hold it down and move it around periodically.

You can use cedar planks in the oven or on the grill. I like using them on the grill to get that smoky flavor. Grilling has a few more steps, but it’s worth it! Either way, you are cooking the salmon using an indirect heating method.

Preparing The Salmon on the Cedar Plank

After the cedar plank has soaked, place the salmon on the plank. Trim it up to  fit on the plank.  I like to have about 1 inch of plank exposed at each end. So trim the tail end (skinnier end) and the skirt. Many times when purchasing a large filet, there is a thin strip of meat running the length of the filet. Cut it off so it looks like the photos. Each long side of the filet should be the same thickness. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.

Method 1:

Step 1 – Next add the walnuts and press them into the salmon to help them stay in place.

Step 2 – Then add the mint and the jalapenos. Notice I added the jalapenos to only one half of the filet. My kids were going to eat this so I left one side mild for them. So I figured I’d show that in the photo to show another option.

Step 3 – Now drizzle about 1/2 cup of the Pomegranate Molasses over everything.

Method 2:

Combine the walnuts, mint, jalapenos if desired, and pomegranate molasses in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and pour it over the salmon filet. Spread it out evenly.

Cooking Instructions – General

We are going to use an indirect heating method to cook the salmon. This will get the salmon cooked evenly without it drying out.

You want the salmon to be cooked around medium to medium-rare. I don’t like medium rare, so I go with medium. If you cook salmon and you see this white stuff coming out form between the layers, it’s overcooked. And dry! Salmon really doesn’t take that long to cook – only about 8-12 minutes at 300º F.

Below are three different methods of cooking the salmon on the cedar plank.

Grilling Instructions – Gas Grill

(The specific directions will vary depending on how many burner you have on your grill.)

Heat your grill with a temperature of 300ºF with the lid closed. Place the cedar plank with the fish and topping on it directly over the burners on high. Leave it there for 5 minutes to get the plank heated up.

My grill has 3 burners so here is what I do. You might need to adjust this if you have only 2 burners. Shut off 1 burner (I do the left) and turn the plank so that the long way is going front to back. Turn down the other burners and close the lid. You want to be around 300ºF.

Cook of 8-12 minutes and remove it from the grill. You’re going for an internal temperature of 125ºF.

Grilling Instructions – Charcoal Grill

Follow the general idea from the instructions above. Heat your charcoal to get the grill up to 300ºF with the lid closed. When you heat your charcoal, place the pile to one side. This way you can have the plank over the hot coals for the first 5 minutes then be able to move it over to the other side for the remainder of the cooking.

Oven Cooking Instructions

This is a little different from the previous 2, but still easy. Heat the oven to 300ºF. Place the cedar plank in the oven until it begins to smoke. Take it out of the oven and put the food on it as per the recipe. Put it pack in the oven and cook it for 8-12 minutes for medium.

Pomegranate Glaze (Pomegranate Molasses)

You can find Pomegranate Molasses in many grocery stores these days or you can make your own.  I found some on Amazon as well.

There are certain types of flavors that work well together. Mint goes very well with sweet things, that’s why you always see it on desserts. Sweet also goes very well with spicy. Therefore, the jalapeños.

The pomegranate glaze I use in this recipe is a homemade pomegranate molasses. You can buy it at some stores or online. But I like to make my own! Here’s the simple recipe:

• 4 cup Pomegranate Juice – I use Pom Wonderful (I used a cheaper brand and it burned so quickly)
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Instructions: In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients. Turn the heat to high. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, turn it down to a slow simmer. Stir it periodically for 1-2 hour. You want to reduce it down to 1 cup total

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Pomegranate Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

Pomegranate Glazed Salmon

• 2-3 pound Salmon Filet, skinned
• 2/3 cup Pomegranate Molasses, store bought or homemade (homemade instructions in the notes)
• 1/2 cup Walnuts, toasted & chopped
• 1/4 cup Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
• 2 Jalapenos, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Middle Eastern Cucumber Salad

• 1 cup Italian Cucumber, diced
• 1 cup Bell Peppers, diced (I used orange & yellow)
• 1 cup Tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup Red Onion, diced
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish

• 1 cup Pomegranate Arils
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup Pomegranate Molasses

Instructions

Pomegranate Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon

(See the recipe notes for Oven Cooking Instructions)

1. Soak the cedar plank in warm water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the cedar plank form the water and dry it off with a towel, and heat the grill. Set the grill on medium to low heat with a temperature of 300°F with the lid closed.

2. Place the salmon filet on the cedar plank, Trim the tail end so that the salmon fits on the plank with at least 1 inch on each side. Trim the skirt of the filet as well. Season the filet with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Option 1: Top the filet in this order: walnuts, mint, jalapenos if you want to add some spice, then the pomegranate molasses.

4. Option 2: Place the walnuts, mint, jalapenos, and the pomegranate molasses in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture over the salmon and spread out evenly.

5. Place the cedar plank with the salmon on it on the grill and let it cook about 5 minutes over direct heat until the wood starts to steam. Turn off Move

Grilling Instructions

(Some instructions may vary depending on how many burners your grill has or if you are using a charcoal grill)

1. Heat your grill with a temperature of 300ºF with the lid closed. Place the cedar plank with the fish and topping on it directly over the burners on high. Leave it there for 5 minutes to get the plank heated up.

2. (My grill has 3 burners so here is what I do. You might need to adjust this if you have only 2 burners.)

   Shut off 1 burner and turn the plank so that the long way is going front to back. Turn down the other burners and close the lid. You want to be around 300ºF.

3. Cook of 8-12 minutes until you reach an internal temperature of 125°F for medium. Remove it from the grill.

Middle Eastern Cucumber Salad

1. In a medium or large mixing bowl combine the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onions, lemon juice, mint leaves, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Garnish

1. To garnish, pour some pomegranate molasses over the salmon and top with chopped mint leaves and pomegranate arils. Or add the arils to the Mediterranean Cucumber Salad.

Recipe Notes

Oven Instructions: 

1. Heat the oven to 300ºF.
2. Place the cedar plank in the oven until it begins to smoke.
3. Take it out of the oven and put the food on it as per the recipe.
4. Put it pack in the oven and cook it for 8-12 minutes with an internal temperature of 125º F for medium.

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Pomegranate Molasses

Ingredients:

• 4 cup Pomegranate Juice 
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Instructions: In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients. Turn the heat to high. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, turn it down to a slow simmer. Stir it periodically for 1-2 hour. You want to reduce it down to 1 cup total