I've been dreaming of eating at Portland's Paley's Place (particularly at a table on the porch) ever since I met the chef, Vitaly Paley, at an event nearly 5 years ago. Warm and engaging, I immediately understood why his 50-seat restaurant has been wildly popular among critics and locals for the past 14 years. And then there's the food. Along with his wife Kimberly, Vitaley's food shows off the best ingredients of the Pacific Northwest, with an emphasis on local and sustainable. But ethos aside, the food is so good. Though I still haven't been able to go the actual restaurant yet (perhaps I just need to book a ticket already?!?!) I'm totally addicted to their new cookbook The Paley's Place Cookbook.

Side note: Vitaly is really into biking and when he couldn't find a portable snack that pleased his palate to take on long rides, he developed his own Paley bar. It's made with all real food (no partially hydrogenated or modified anything) and is one of the few energy bars that actually tastes like what it's made from. Love that!

Cedar-Planked Salmon

Chef Paley recommends using untreated cedar shingles from a lumber yard work best for me at the restaurant or  you can find planks at well-stocked cookware stores. And to drink, Kimberly suggests pairing the Balcombe Vineyard Pinot Noir from by Patricia Green and Jim Anderson of Patricia Green Cellars because it's balanced red fruit and enticing aromas play to the brown sugar and orange of the salmon marinade.

Serves 4-6

1 (2-pound) piece wild King salmon, scaled (with skin), preferably from the belly of the fish

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Grated zest of 2 oranges

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small bulb garlic, peeled, separated into cloves, and finely chopped

1 Walla Walla onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil 

To marinate the salmon, place the fish in a large glass baking dish. Remove any bones with a tweezer or small pliers. In a bowl, mix the salt, brown sugar, and orange zest and generously rub into both sides of the salmon. Cover the fish and refrigerate for 2 hours.

To cook on a grill preheat a gas grill or get a charcoal grill red-hot. Brush the cedar plank on both sides with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spread the chopped garlic on the plank the length and the width of the salmon fillet. Place the salmon on the garlic, and cover evenly with the chopped basil and onion slices. The onion here is not just for flavor; it is meant to protect the fish from burning while it cooks, so pile it on both top and sides of the fish. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.

The grill should be hot enough to ignite the plank when you place the salmon-topped board on the grill grate. If the plank doesn’t ignite, very carefully add a few drops of oil onto the burners or coals. Let the plank burn all the way around the fish (the onion will protect the fish from burning). Once most of the exposed plank has burned, cover the grill to smother the fire. Grill the salmon without turning until medium-rare, or 130°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

To cook in the oven, preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush 1 side of the cedar plank with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and place it in the oven for at least 30 minutes to release the wood’s aromas. When the kitchen develops a sweet smell reminiscent of a hot sauna, the plank is ready to use.

Spread the chopped garlic on the hot plank the length and the width of the salmon fillet. Place the salmon on the garlic, cover evenly with the chopped basil and onion slices, and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Bake the salmon without turning until medium-rare, or 130°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Reprinted with permission from The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest by Vitaly Paley and Kimberly Paley with Robert Reynolds, copyright © 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House.

Photo credit: John Valls © 2008

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