Plank a term for cooking fish in various ways which involve having it fastened to or placed on a suitable small wooden plank. A fish can be nailed to a plank which is then tilted up over an open fire; or nailed down (to prevent the heat making it curl upwards) to a plank under a grill; or cooked on a plank in the oven. The technique was brought to the highest proficiency by Native Americans in the Pacific NW especially for cooking salmon over a fire. They used cedar or alder planks, although other hardwoods, maple, and fruitwoods such as cherry and apple work equally well. The plank may have a declivity to hold the juices. It should be soaked for hours before exposure to the fire. The delight is in the slight taste of smoke gained from the wood charring as the fish slowly cooks. Joints of meat, chicken, and so forth are equally susceptible to this treatment.
