Cedar Planked Tilapia

Leah is vegetarian, kind of.  She'll eat some fish, and shrimp, but that's it.  Usually it's not an issue if we eat out at a restaurant, or even cook at home.  But it severely limits our options when it comes to grilling something that both of us will enjoy.  I'll grill a delicious piece of animal flesh, and she'll have a veggie burger....yuck.

Nothing like overpriced soy shaped into a burger that is supposed to taste like chicken!

So help me, if our son is a vegetarian, I'm seriously going to have a come apart.  Anyways...

Like I said, one of the few things she'll eat is fish, specifically Tilapia.  So last weekend, I wanted to cook dinner for her, and had been waiting to use some cedar grilling planks that I had picked up at a local grilling store.  Grilling planks are pieces of untreated wood, that you soak beforehand, and cook the meat (usually fish) directly on.  As they heat up, they'll smoke lightly and transfer that flavor to the fish.  But, because they're soaked, the planks also steam the fish and keep it tender as it's being cooked.

For this recipe, I soaked my cedar planks in some cheap white wine.   You can also use beer, or water.  The tilapia was seasoned with a sample of Dizzy Pig's Swamp Venom rub.  

The corn was boiled for a half hour and then seasoned with Tony Chachere's.  We haven't been thrilled the last couple of times we've grilled corn, so we decided to try a new method that we picked up from a local seminar given by Chef John Henry.  Boiling it in the husk cooks the corn, and then when it's placed on the grill, it steams inside the husk.

Chef John Henry's brisket was so good, even Leah loved it! (seriously)

Set the Big Green Egg up for direct grilling at 400 degrees.  Next, place the planks on the grill and let them heat up a few minutes on each side, this also seasons the planks.  Once the planks start to smoke and crack, it's time for the fish.  Cook the fish until it lightly flakes, which shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

Both the Tilapia, and the corn turned out great.  The fish was slightly smoky, and the Tsunami Spin seasoning was delicious (I might have to get a full bottle...*cough*Christmas present*cough*).  John Henry's corn on the cob method worked well, as it didn't dry out or need any extra butter.

Finished product, with Quinoa and green beans.

The Karjala beer is from Finland, courtesy of our friend Mary.