Recipes to Eat off Wooden Planks (a.k.a. The BA #PlankChallenge)

Join Bon Appétit in a plank challenge… a cedar plank challenge, that is.

January 6, 2015

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Fitness buffs may have heard of the 30-Day Plank Challenge. We here at BA are having a little plank challenge of our own—we're eating all of our food off planks. It just tastes better that way. And it doesn't hurt our abs.

Con Poulos
1/13
Cedar-Planked Shrimp With Chipotle-Pumpkin Seed Salsa
If you like cedar-planked salmon, you'll love these shrimp. Soak the planks in water for at least an hour before placing on the grill.
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Christopher Testani
2/13
Garlic-and-Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Scallions
Make sure you keep your grill at a steady medium-level heat; if it’s too hot, the chicken will char without cooking through. And then, serve it all on a big wooden plank. It just tastes better that way.
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Christopher Testani
3/13
Horseradish-and-Parsley-Stuffed Rib-Eye Roast
For an instructive primer on how to butterfly your holiday roast, see here. Note the handsome wooden plank underneath all that meat.
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4/13
Curried Chicken Sandwich
Burgers aren't the only grilled things we want to eat with our hands. And who needs a plate when you've got a plank?
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Alex Lau
5/13
Spaghetti Squash and Avocado Chicken Salad
Spaghetti squash is really more like a rice noodle then spaghetti, so we riffed on a cold noodle salad. This would be great with leftover sliced steak or pork, too. We prefer to prepare this on a wooden plank.
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Jessup Deane
6/13
Fennel-Spiced Ribs with Tangy Apple-Mustard Barbecue Sauce
A generous amount of spices and sauces add up to some truly complex flavors. These ribs are a little messy—serve them on a wooden plank to keep things from getting sloppy.
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7/13
Grilled Chicken with Board Dressing
You try and make a board dressing without a board. Just try.
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Ture Lillegraven
8/13
Thyme-and-Garlic Roast Chickens
By now, you're probably noticing a pattern: Chicken and wooden planks go together beautifully. (A good plank is actually helpful for breaking down the bird.) Use high-quality chickens, and season them generously.
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9/13
Chicken Under a Brick
Is that a butcher's block or a plank? Let's say plank.
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Danielle Walsh
10/13
Crispy Thai Pork with Cucumber Salad
The crispy bits are the key to this pork’s deliciousness. Use a wide, flat spatula for the best effect. And use a wide, large plank to hold all of the accoutrements.
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Anders Overgaard
11/13
Cured Arctic Char
This method works well with other fish. Substitute salmon or fresh trout for the char if you like. But definitely, definitely use a plank.
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12/13
Bouillabaisse with Rouille and Garlic Toasts
This pot of Provençal mussels is bathed in a bouillabaisse-style broth with saffron, tomato, and herbs. Make the broth hours ahead. Steam the mussels just before guests sit down, and serve with buttery toasted French bread rubbed with garlic. And serve on a wooden plank.
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13/13
Grilled Corvina
And, for the pièce de résistance? Whole grilled fish. On a plank.
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Senior Associate Web Editor. When she’s not torturing herself by grinding coffee beans by hand and making her own butter, Rochelle writes about cooking techniques and seasonal eating for bonappetit.com. She comes to BA by way of a small farm in Central New York, where she worked as a farmhand ... Read More

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