Cedar Planked Tilapia with Lemon and Prosciutto (updated)
Made a really nice dinner tonight, found some really fresh fish in the market today that just screamed out for some planked bbq. Recipe after the jump

For this you will need:
Cedar Planks
4 Lemons
8 thin slices of prosciutto (aka italian bacon), with lots of fat on it.
1 tablespoons Celery Salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
dash of cumin
dash of ground fennel seeds
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
1 Liter Butter milk
Soak Cedar planks in warm water for at least 1 hour before using
Soak your fish in buttermilk for at least 1 hour or even overnight will remove some of that "fishy" smell, most kinds of milk will work if you cant find buttermilk, just make sure it has some fat in it.
Place a few thin strips of prosciutto down on the cedar plank, this will enable you easily remove the fish after cooking, and lets face it, everything is better with some kind of bacon, and italian bacon (prosciutto) is no exception. next lay down a generous number of fresh lemon slices get them as thin as possible and leave about 1/4 inch of space between the slices, this will raise up the fish and enable it to soak up a bit more of the warming cedar oils.
Combine your spice mixture and spread out onto a plate.
Remove the fish from the butter milk and shake off a bit of the excess liquid and roll in the spice mixture and place on top of your lemon and prosciutto covered plank. Top with more thin slices of lemon and more prosciutto. Place on high direct heat (at least 500f) and close the lid of your grill. Make sure you have a beverage in your hand as you will find the corners of your planks will catch fire first and will need a litte dousing with beer. I find that most planked fish takes about 20 minutes to cook, or when the plank starts to warp and catch fire. if your plank starts to get really warped and on fire, try moving the plank into a "safe zone" on your bbq - indirect heat for the last few minutes of cooking. As always using an instant read thermometer is your best bet for perfectly cooked meat, and i like my fish cooked to about 115f. place whole planks on cookie sheet or platter for serving, when bringing smokin planks indoors, place them on your stovetop with the fan on full blast for a few minute or you'll end up with a really smokey house.
Pairing / Side Dish
My favorite side dish for this sort of meal is a green vegetable that's on the bitter side such as asparagus, rapinni or wilted spinach. For wine I like to go with a spicy Gevertiminer or a Pinot Gris that high on the "cat urine" nose (believe it or not that's a real descrption that wine folks use!) -- My absolute favorite though is a really hoppy beer like and Double IPA.

Cedar Planks
4 Lemons
8 thin slices of prosciutto (aka italian bacon), with lots of fat on it.
1 tablespoons Celery Salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
dash of cumin
dash of ground fennel seeds
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
1 Liter Butter milk
Soak Cedar planks in warm water for at least 1 hour before using
Soak your fish in buttermilk for at least 1 hour or even overnight will remove some of that "fishy" smell, most kinds of milk will work if you cant find buttermilk, just make sure it has some fat in it.
Place a few thin strips of prosciutto down on the cedar plank, this will enable you easily remove the fish after cooking, and lets face it, everything is better with some kind of bacon, and italian bacon (prosciutto) is no exception. next lay down a generous number of fresh lemon slices get them as thin as possible and leave about 1/4 inch of space between the slices, this will raise up the fish and enable it to soak up a bit more of the warming cedar oils.
Combine your spice mixture and spread out onto a plate.
Remove the fish from the butter milk and shake off a bit of the excess liquid and roll in the spice mixture and place on top of your lemon and prosciutto covered plank. Top with more thin slices of lemon and more prosciutto. Place on high direct heat (at least 500f) and close the lid of your grill. Make sure you have a beverage in your hand as you will find the corners of your planks will catch fire first and will need a litte dousing with beer. I find that most planked fish takes about 20 minutes to cook, or when the plank starts to warp and catch fire. if your plank starts to get really warped and on fire, try moving the plank into a "safe zone" on your bbq - indirect heat for the last few minutes of cooking. As always using an instant read thermometer is your best bet for perfectly cooked meat, and i like my fish cooked to about 115f. place whole planks on cookie sheet or platter for serving, when bringing smokin planks indoors, place them on your stovetop with the fan on full blast for a few minute or you'll end up with a really smokey house.
Pairing / Side Dish
My favorite side dish for this sort of meal is a green vegetable that's on the bitter side such as asparagus, rapinni or wilted spinach. For wine I like to go with a spicy Gevertiminer or a Pinot Gris that high on the "cat urine" nose (believe it or not that's a real descrption that wine folks use!) -- My absolute favorite though is a really hoppy beer like and Double IPA.
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