Scale it, skin it, or leave it on?

Just curious what people do when filleting salmon/steelhead.

Scale it and leave the skin on for the Bar-B-Q.

Salmon- scale it with a hose. leave the skin on.

Steelhead- don't scale (they're on pretty good), leave the skin on.

I would have to agree with leaving the skin on.There is also a layer a fat in between the skin and meat that adds a certain amount of flavor.I always scale them though.I believe that it helps the brines and seasonings imprengnate the flesh.

I skin my fish and remove the y bones.

I've been told by a number of Chef's that cooking salmon with the skin on ads more flavor. So depends on what I'm making and the quality of my fish. Sometimes the skin stays sometimes it goes.

I fillet it first, then lay the fillet skin down
on a water soaked cedar plank, season how you wish, we like brown sugar, place on a hot BBQ.
Lower heat to med. setting, close lid and check after
20 minutes, should be close, average cookin time 20-30 minutes. when done looks great......tastes
even better. Been eating springer at least once a week this way for the last 2 months.....only way my kids will eat salmon.

I took yoour advice and bought myself a cedar plank,one word,AWSOME!

Where can one find a cooking cedar plank in the Seattle area - maybe one that won't cost me my arm and leg? I take it that most lumber places have treated wood, which would be bad.

I've always wanted to try planking some fish on the BBQ.

Seattle Restaurant Supply, perhaps???

Mucho Gracias for any responses.

I've also wanted to try the cedar approach. Isn't it correct that you only use the plank once as it gets partially burned in the cooking process? If that's the case, why pay $$$ for a "specialty" plank from a kitchen accessories store when you could go to a shingle mill and get 10 for the same price?

Or am I off base?

Ok, done a little research.

There are baking and grilling plans.

Baking planks are reusable and should last forever.

Grilling plans are a use-once type planks. Trey are relatively inexpensive. Not as cheap as going to the mill, but hey, it's not like mills are plentiful in the greater Seattle are.

For those not wanting to drive out to their local mill, I suggest one of the Made in Washington stores.

A 4-pack of grilling planks is $7.

The banking plans are $39/$49 (ouch).

Parker, if you can't find untreated cedar planks or heavy shakes, go to Fred Meyers, they carry 3 packs of "Oregon cedar grills" for $9.99. They are a one shot deal but sometimes I'll BBQ a second fillet while we eat the first...on the same plank...if it's not too charred......which is what you want to get that great
cedar smoke flavor.......also try seasoning with brown sugar or maple syrup........sweeeeet.

A friend of mine cooked some fresh caught King with a Miracle Whip and vinegar sauce, in foil, skin on (scaled), on the BBQ. It was spectacular! Try it out.

I like to leave the skin on my fish,. place in foil bag in oven put a little olive oil on the fish and whatever spices you like,... i like to put garlic salt and lemon pepper...

fish comes out ultra moist and real good.. another good approach is to use soy sauce instead of the olive oil.. both are goooooood..... the skin sticks to the foil so when you dish out the fish theres no skin attatched to the fish works for me.

Parker,

My folks are the true masters of cedar plank cooking and they have been doing it for quite some time, long before the recent cedar plank hype. You need to make a salt rub for the fish which you just baste on prior to cooking. There are several other ways, some mentioned in posts above, but the salt rub and mom's homemade marinade/sauce over the top and it is as good as it gets.

You want cedar planks you say, Parker? Come over and get some. We have about half a tree worth of cedar rounds in the back yard which we split and plane into planks for cooking. We also have a shiatload of alder which is killer for planking salmon too! BTW, it's not just for salmon. You can cook chicken, veggies, etc. on the planks as well.

try prawns on the planks!!!! oh yes..

Guess I don't know what to do regarding cedar planks...

I went down to the lumber yard and bought rough cut cedar fence boards (they were on sale), cut them so they'd fit on the bbq, soaked them in water and cooked fish on them (skin side down, of course). They last for 2 cooking sessions but, they're cheap and easy to get.