Oak Planked, Irish Whiskey Salmon with Soda Bread

This Irish inspired Oak Planked, Irish Whiskey Salmon with Soda Bread recipe is perfect for St Patrick’s Day!

For the Soda Bread:

• Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk or yoghurt, stirring as you go. If necessary, add a splash of milk to bring it together; it should form soft dough, just this side of sticky.
• Tip it out on to a floured work surface and knead lightly for about a minute, just long enough to pull it into a loose ball but no longer – it needs to go on the barbecue while the bicarb’ is still doing its stuff. You're not looking for the kind of smooth, elastic dough you’d get with yeast-based bread.
• Set up the barbecue for roasting (in-direct method) and preheat a pizza stone. Flour the dough generously and mark a deep cross on it with a sharp, serrated knife (cut about two-thirds of the way through the loaf).
• Dust the pizza stone lightly with flour, then place the dough on the stone using a Weber Style Pizza Paddle. Cook the bread for around 30-40 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
• Cool slightly on a wire rack if you like a crunchy crust, or wrap in a clean tea towel if you prefer a soft crust. Serve warm cut into generous chunks.

For the Salmon:

• Cut the fish into 120g fillets removing the skin first and making sure there are no bones. Place salmon fillets on the wet oak plank and salt.
• In a mixing bowl add the cream cheese, whiskey, runny honey, dill, lemon juice and zest.
• With a pallet knife spread the cream cheese mixture equally over the fillets. Grind the black pepper on top and season with salt.
• Set up the barbecue for roasting (Indirect method) and place the oak planked salmon directly onto the barbecue. Add the wood chips to the hot coals and cook for 20-25 minutes with the lid down, until the flesh is flaky and the cream cheese is golden on top.