Swai 'n' Salmon - A tale of two fishies... Was rummaging around Costco a while back and spotted a special on salmon packaged frozen on a cedar plank, pre-seasoned and ready to cook. So, I had to try it. The label said the plank needed no further soaking , so following the directions, I fired up the trusty Weber grill, segregated the coals to one side, and placed the plank on the grill, slightly offset to the opposite side, so as not to cremate the plank (might want to use it again!), and closed the lid.
Didn't take long, maybe 20 minutes, following the directions. The result was fabulous! While the seasonings in the salmon were excellent to start with, cooking it on the cedar plank imparted an extra zest to the flavor. Wonderful! In fact it was so good, later I tried another salmon fillet on the plank using my own seasonings. Another stellar result!
So, here's where another fish comes in: While nosing around the seafood counter at the local Nugget Market, I spotted a nice-looking white fish fillet called "Swai". The counterman explained it as a Vietnamese variety of ocean catfish. I wasn't sure about it at first, but another customer who was also looking, started talking it up, and ordered four fillets for himself. So, I had to give it a try. Now, you've got to understand that my bride, while fond of fish, doesn't like anything too strong, especially in the aroma department. Naturally she was a bit skeptical about this new find. So, I pulled out that trusty cedar plank, soaked it in water for about an hour, laid the Swai on the plank and into the grill it went - this time, using a different spice mix - simply melted butter, some garlic and paprika for basting - right on the plank. Took maybe 15-20 minutes. The result? Resounding success! My girl couldn't get enough of it! Some pasta with some butter and cheese, a salad - that's a killer meal!
Here's a variation: If you don't have access to a plank, try making a broiler pan out of two layers of foil, toss in enough butter to melt to completely line the pan and sizzle the fish and toss in the Swai. Again, I'd recommend some garlic and paprika on it, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, depending upon how many fillets in the pan. I did three, and did them for about 20 minutes or so (this time, on an open grill, no lid), until it was a nice opaque white color. Zowie! It was good!
...And what's nice about doing fish fillets either on the plank or in the foil pan like this, is that you don't have to flip them over. Just let 'em cook!
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