Wood-Plank Salmon with Thyme

This is an extremely simple, but very enjoyable main course. I generally stick it in the oven, then make potato wedges or my squash (sauteed yellow squash and zucchini) while it’s baking. I began using sage on salmon during my college years, when I grew entirely too much of the herb, and put it in pretty much everything. It became my favorite herb, and lends a delicate and unexpected taste and scent to this dish. I tend to cook the salmon in the oven during the winter, but grilling works nicely as well with a cedar plank over charcoal.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds salmon
• 5 dried sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 pinch ground paprika
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to fold over all the salmon with cooking spray.
2. Arrange salmon on the prepared side of the foil. Sprinkle with sage, thyme, paprika, and pepper. Fold foil over salmon to enclose.
3. Bake salmon 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until easily flaked with a fork.