Into the Outdoors 9-28-10 issue

Last week, my son, Ray, and I went on a salmon fishing trip to Lake Ontario.  Since I just finished a meal of salmon filet, I thought I would share with you one of my all time favorite recipes for the preparation of these magnificent gamefish. 
While salmon is both good and good for you, there are a couple of problems to overcome.  First of all, salmon are, by their very nature, oily fish.  Therefore, when cooking them, you must keep the flesh out of the oil.  If you don’t, you’ll be unable to eat it.  If you use a roast pan to bake the fish, be sure to put it on a rack.  The other problem, if it can really be called that, is the fact that salmon filets are normally very thick.  This means that you must exercise caution to make sure you don’t burn the outside, while leaving the inside raw.  Therefore, the cooking temperature should be no higher than medium. 
Here’s how I prepared the aforementioned salmon, a big coho. I used a technique called planking. First of all, I applied an ample amount of Old Bay Seasoning.  Next came Uncle Glenn’s Blend, from Con Yeager Spices. 
For the actual cooking, I took a cedar plank that I had soaked in water for several hours, and placed it on the gas grill.  I then put the salmon on the plank.  After turning it once, I let it cook on medium heat for about an hour.  The end result was nothing short of delicious.  There was no oily taste at all.  Apparently, the oil had either soaked into the plank or drained off.  A slight smoky flavor permeated the filets.  The planks, which are good for only one use, can be purchased at many cooking stores.  Planking works well on meat, fish and poultry.  If you’ve never tried it, you owe it to your taste buds to give it a shot.
Another of my favorite ways of preparing salmon is to smoke it.  Once again, long and slow are the key words to success.  There are all kinds of smokers on the market, but I use one fueled with propane.  For salmon, I prefer to use hickory wood, although others will work, too.  After brining, I like to dissolve some brown sugar in water and brush it on the fish.  After a day in the smoker, it tastes like very delicate ham.
In mid-November, we have another New York trip planned, this time for steelhead and salmon on the Salmon River.  I’ll let you know how it turns out. 
For many years now, we have been booking both our lake and river trips with Strike Zone Charters, out of Pulaski, New York.  Operated by the Sheltra brothers, Todd and Robin, they offer true quality fishing experiences.  I feel quite comfortable in recommending them to readers.  The phone number is 315-298-2074.
The Game Commission has announced that field forecasts, from Wildlife Conservation Officers in various regions of the state, are now available on the agency’s website.  These are well worth checking out.
Well, as hard as it is to accept, summer is now officially over.  It breathed its last, last Thursday.  All of the things that make summer so wonderful are beginning to fade, gradually at first, but with alarmingly increased speed as time goes on.  The first frost, which signals the death knell of so many beautiful things, could happen at any time.  At least, we have hunting season to look forward to.