Roasting Planks

■ OAK      ■ CEDAR      ■ BEECH

Roasting Planks offers you a modern method of experiencing back-to nature cooking that roasts meat, poultry, game, pork, fruit, vegetables and cheese (see Planked Cheese recipe) in a uniquely woody, tender and aromatic style.

Roasting Planks are designed to be used all year round for any event. We use ours to prepare our Sunday roasts (see Planked Chicken recipe), evening meals, starters and mains for dinner parties and desserts (see Planked Pineapple recipe). They can be used to prepare a full family meal or dinner platter for two.

We love using our Roasting Plank to cook vegetables and we are still experimenting with so many different combinations, currently our favourite is using our beech plank for mushrooms, onions and leeks.

Cooking fish on a Cedar Roasting Plank is extraordinary, the sweetness of the wood adds an amazing taste to the fish (or seafood) and I have never tasted fish that is as soft and moist as a Cedar Roast Planked fish (see Planked Salmon recipe).

Dinner parties are very popular at our house because of the novelty of cooking on wood, the aroma of the wood and food combination wets every ones appetite, the 'wow factor' of having the food on a plank in the middle of the table and the final 'proof of the pudding' is the surprise of how tender, tasty and moist the food actually is.

 

How to cook with a Roasting Plank

Your Roasting Plank must be pre-soaked before putting in the oven, it is recommended to soak the plank for a minimum of four to six hours but we strongly recommend soaking your plank overnight, especially if you are planning to cook over one and a half hours in the oven, as this will ensure complete saturation.  The rule is : the longer you need to put your plank in the oven the more saturated it needs to be. Just use a kitchen sink, bucket or plastic tub and fill up with tap water. Some of the woods will colour the water, this is normal.

Why not try experimenting with adding whisky or cider with fresh herbs to the water in order to make different flavours? You can be as adventurous as you wish.

After soaking your Roasting Plank, dry with a cloth and rub the top of your plank with olive oil or rapeseed oil. Try rubbing different types of oils and herbs onto your plank to experiment with flavours.

Place your seasoned fish or meat on the plank and place in the middle of your preheated oven (Gas Mark 4-5, 350-375 F). Cooking temperatures and times will vary depending on recipe and type of oven but the general rule is not too hot! Slow, gentle roasting is the best way. Once cooked, place your roasting plank onto the table. Remember the Roasting Plank will be hot from the oven.

It is recommended that you use different Roasting Planks for different foods: one for meat and another for fish because the juice from the food will soak into the wood.

Your Roasting Plank will develop cracks around the edges and change colour. This is perfectly natural and is part of the natural wood character of your plank. If soaked thoroughly before each use, your Roasting Plank should easily last for a number of years.

After cooking scrub your plank using a soft bristle brush, warm water and a mild washing up liquid, rinse and dry thoroughly before storing. Never use a dishwasher or a strong detergent.

Look at our FAQ Roasting Plank page for more photos and information.

Click on the price to go to Roasting Plank Shop.

	Beech Roasting Planks give a subtle sweet woody flavour, great for meat, poultry, pork, lamb, pork, gammon   ( see Planked Gammon recipe) and vegetables.	£39.99
	Cedar Roasting Planks, this is the traditional wood for fish and imparts a sweet, spicy flavour but is also fantastic for seafood and fruit.	£39.99
	Oak Roasting Planks offer a heavier and smokier flavour and are great for red meat and game; this is probably the best wood for the best steak.	£39.99