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Cedar Planked Lemon Dill Walleye and Warm Bacon Coleslaw with Apples

It’s easy and fun to cook fish on a cedar plank. You need to soak your planks for an hour or more. Heat up the grill. Lightly oil your fish and the top of the plank. Season the fish. Set on the grill. Close the cover. Then let the smoking begin! The fish will capture a light essence of smoky wonderfulness.
Planked Whitefish surrounded by duchess potatoes and a stuffed tomato is a Northern Michigan iconic recipe. I thought you might want to broaden your horizons. And to be perfectly honest, I didn’t want to have to make mashed potatoes and stuff tomatoes. I’ll let the restaurants do that for me. I chose Walleye for its firmer texture and mild flavor. It’ll take a little longer to grill, giving the fish more time to be exposed to that smoky ambiance.
I thought the perfect accompaniment to that lightly smoked, “melt and in your mouth” moist walleye would be a warm crisp coleslaw. I added extra crunch with bacon and apples. The coleslaw is not actually cooked. I added a warm dressing to allow the cabbage to melt some but still maintains its crispy texture.
Enjoy!
Course Main Dish, Salad
Keyword apples, cedar plank, coleslaw, walleye

Ingredients

CEDAR PLANKED LEMON DILL WALLEYE

  • 4 Cedar Planks 11”x5”
  • 4 12 oz Walleye Filets skinned
  • 2 tablespoons Butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 Lemon sliced

WARM BACON COLESLAW WITH APPLES

  • 5 cups Green Cabbage thinly sliced, approx. 3/4 pounds
  • 3 cups Red Cabbage thinly sliced, approx. 1/3 pound
  • 4 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Celery Seed
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 8 slices Bacon
  • 1/4 cup Shallots chopped, one small shallot
  • 3 cups Gala Apples, or similar apple

Instructions

Cedar Planked Lemon Dill Walleye

  • Soak the planks in water for at least one hour. Heat the grill to 350 degrees. Scrape the grill clean and rub oil on the grates.
  • Prep the fish. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the fish on a baking sheet. Brush butter mixture over the fish. Sprinkle with dill and paprika. Place lemon slices on top.
  • Lightly oil the top of the cedar planks (I spray with a little Pam). Place on the grill (covered) for 5 minutes. Place the fish on the planks. You may need to curl the tail under to make it fit on the plank. Cover grill. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.

Warm Bacon Coleslaw with Apples

  • In a bowl, combine the green and red cabbage. 
  • In a small bowl, combine the apple cider, honey, Dijon, celery seed, salt & pepper.
  • On the stove top over medium low heat, cook the baconuntil crisp.  Drain on paper towel.  Pour the bacon fat into a ramekin.   In a smaller sauté pan over low heat, add 2tablespoons of bacon fat.  Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shallots are translucent.  Add the dressing and whisk until emulsified and warm.  Add bacon and apple to cabbage and drizzle with warm dressing.
  • You can serve warm, room temperature or chilled.  If making it ahead, add the bacon and apples just before serving.