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Cedar Wrapped Salmon

OK. Normally I am not a fan of gimmiky, "gourmet" junk from the grocery store, but I have to admit that cedar wraps are really cool products. I have discovered that they work great as a grill item. They are easy to prepare, pack, and cook. They will empart a smokey, cadar flavor to whatever you cook with them. For this recipe I am using salmon because I love smoked salmon flavor. You could just as easily grill your favorite fish with this same recipe. I would stop short of chicken, beef, or pork because of the cooking time required to ensure that your food is safe. I believe the cedar wraps would be burnt to a cinder by the time your meat was done.

Ingredients

Conversions to European measurements can be found here!

1 large salmon tail or fillets (about 2 lbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz white mushrooms diced small
2 medium leeks white part only diced small
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons parsley minced
6 oz plain goat cheese (chevre)
4 stems fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped small
salt and pepper
8 thin cedar wraps
2 tablespoons olive oil
green part of leeks cut into thin long strips (to be used to tie the cedar wraps) or kitchen string

Procedure

Soak the cedar wraps in water for 20 minutes or more.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the leeks and mushrooms and saute for 10-15 minutes. The mushrooms will release a large amount of water when they start to cook. Continue cooking until the mushrooms and leeks begin to dry out. Then add the garlic and thyme. Saute for a few minutes more until the mixture becomes very fragrant.

Remove the stuffing to a large bowl or baking pan and spread it thin. Spreading out the mixture will help it to cool faster. Once the stuffing has reached room temperature (or at least cool enough to touch with your hands) add the chevre and parsley. Sprinkle with the chives and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix the cheese in throughly, you can use your hands or a couple of spoons if you like.

Cut the salmon fillet across the body (not head to tail) in chunks about 1 1/2 inch wide. Brush with a small about of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place a salmon piece in the middle of a cedar wrap. Top with a large spoonful of mushroom stuffing. Pull a strip of the leek green (or kitchen string) under the cedar wrap. Wrap the salmon and stuffing loosely and tie it off.

I prefer grilling these on the BBQ. Over medium hot coals place the salmon wraps on the grill and cover with the BBQ lid. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes.

If you don't have or don't want to use the BBQ, grill them on your stove top with a grill pan. Follow the same procedure as above. Use some tin foil if you don't have a lid for your grill skillet to cover the wraps.

If you don't have a grill pan or a BBQ you can bake them in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Finsh them off by cooking them under your broiler, on high, for about 2-3 minutes. Just enough to make the cedar smoke and turn dark.