The art of Planking with a grilling plank

The art of Planking - Grilling Plank
There are three different products that can fall into the category of a Plank Cooking or Grilling Planks. These are Roasting planks, Wood Papers and Grilling planks.
Contrary to popular believe, Grilling planks are not a new way of cooking. In fact Grilling planks have been around for many hundreds of years. Plank Cooking and Grilling Planks are seen as a very trendy way to cook now. Again, it is the fact that we are getting our taste from a natural source, in this case Grilling planks, rather than additional ingredients. It is difficult to describe the flavour that is imposed upon food when cooked on a grilling plank. It is a cross between steaming and smoking food. It is not an art really, grilling planks are all about experimentation and fun. There need not be a recipe or a plan - just a grilling plank and some fish or steak maybe.
The secret of cooking with a grilling plank is the soaking. When the wood is soaked it goes back to its fresh cut state and if meat, fish, seafood, vegetables or fruit is cooked on grilling plank then the food is infused with the smoky taste of that wood. The food is gently steamed and is therefore always moist and tender. A wonderful way to cook, to add another dimension to your grilling plank - you can try adding beer, wine or even whisky to the grilling plank when soaking. It is all about experimentation.
An Oak grilling plank will give a heavier smoky flavour that you would expect and is great for Beef or Fish, A cedar grilling plank is sweet and spicy and is perfect for fish and seafood, A Beech grilling plank has a subtle sweet flavour great for poultry and a Cherry grilling plank has a subtler sweet fruity flavour for all foods.
In particular, all seafood is fantastic on a Grilling Plank because the food is gently steamed and the seafood stays amazingly moist and tender as well as infused with a wood smoky taste. A simple, but great, marinade for King Prawns is 3tbs olive oil, sliced dill and coriander, juice from half a lemon and finely chopped chilli. Let the King Prawns marinade for more than 1 hour, cook on your grilling plank until hot through.
Another great aspect of the Grilling plank is that when you are entertaining - it adds an air of interest to the atmosphere. You can discuss the art of planking and its origins. You can even serve the food on the Smoking grilling plank - which is especially nice if you are cooking a whole sea bass or salmon maybe.
Whether you are a real foodie yourself or know someone who is - a Grilling Plank is a must to try. It really does add flavour to your food and I have never had such tender steak before. A grilling plank will change the way you BBQ, forever.

Scott Frances is Passionate about Outdoor cooking, to discover more about a Grilling Plank you can visit Garden Gift Shop

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