This grilled cedar plank salmon will wow you and your guests with its colour, fragrance, and incredible flavour. The cedar smoke combined with the Chermoula spice rub makes this easy grilled salmon dish everything you’ve hoped for and more. This fish has got it all.
Chermoula is a traditional spice blend with its origins in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. It’s a lemony mixture of spices, garlic, and fresh herbs that’s perfect for marinating or dry spicing fish. The name comes from the Arabic verb ‘chermel’ in reference to rubbing or marinating something with a spice mix.
Both a Chermoula marinade or the dry spice mix can be used for this recipe. The flavour is powerful, but not so much that it mutes the taste of the salmon. The rub also adds a bit of texture, and the cedar provides even more flavour and that awesome presentation.
The marinade can be stored in the fridge for a week and if you make the dry spice mix, you can store it in an airtight container away from light for up to a year. The flavour and results of this dish are complex, beautiful, and tasty, but the prep and cook are as simple as it can get. The instructions are literally brine, rub, grill, and eat.
Moroccan-Inspired Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon – Serves 4
- Cedar plank(s) for grilling
- 4 medium-sized salmon filets, skin removed
For the Chermoula dry spice blend, mix:
- 2 Tbs. ground cumin
- 1 Tbs. ground coriander
- 1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1-1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
For the Chermoula marinade, mix:
- 3 cups fresh coriander (cilantro), – roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, – roughly chopped, leaves only
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic, – peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp water – optional if you use a food processor but not needed if using a pestle and mortar
- 5 tbsp lemon juice, – freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
You can also add:
- 1 tsp ground turmeric – (for a yellow chermoula)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp sweet paprika, – powder or paste (for a red chermoula)
- 1 tsp harissa paste, – or to taste if you’d like to spice things up
Step 1:
Season the fish with the rub or marinade. Apply it generously. Let the salmon soak up all the spices for at least an hour before you’re ready to grill.
Step 2:
Soak your cedar plank fully emerged in water for at least one hour, then pat it dry and place the marinated or spice rubbed salmon on the plank.
Step 3:
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 200°C.
Step 4:
Place the plank on the grill grates, close the lid, and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until salmon is done to your liking.
The exact cooking time of salmon depends on the size and thickness of the filet, but you can be sure it’s ready is when it easily flakes with a fork and is nice and pink. This dish is great paired with rice and vegetables. Coconut ginger rice and corn also go perfect with this North African inspired delicacy.
