Alder Roasted King Salmon with Wild Fennel Pollen

Ingredients

• 1 cup anise liqueur flavored
• 0.5 cup brown sugar 
• 2 large cedar planks 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 2 tablespoons ground fennel seed wild
• 0.5 tablespoon ground pepper fresh black
• 0.3 cup kosher salt 
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt 
• 12 pound king salmon with the skin on
• 2 quarts water 

Equipment

• frying pan

Directions

1. Mix sugar, salt, water, and anise flavored liqueur.
2. Pour over salmon halves in a 3-inch deep pan. Marinate, chilled, in the brine mixture for 4 to 8 hours.
3. Remove from brine and pat dry.
4. Brush the salmon with oil. Season with wild fennel pollen, salt, and pepper.
5. Place on Alder plank and soak in cold water overnight. Sometimes a nail through the tail end is used to hold the salmon in place. Lean the plank against an Alder wood fire that has mostly died down to very hot coals. Be careful not to let the plank catch fire. The heat and the smoke from the fire will cook and season the salmon.
6. Serve right off the plank.