FEEDS 45-50
Sturgeon is a fatty fish, which means it has a lot of flavor. It also has a nice meaty texture, so it doesn’t need a lot done to it to make it moist and flavorful. The same is true for salmon and trout, which are both good substitutes for sturgeon for this feast. To figure out exactly how many sides of fish you need, count on 6 ounces of fish per person. If you use smaller fish, you will be able to fit more than one side on each plank; just make sure to leave space between the sides of fish.
4 CEDAR PLANKS (see Planking Essentials)
20 pounds (about 4 skinless, boneless WILD STURGEON sides) or an equivalent weight of salmon or lake trout
PLANKED FISH BRINE (recipe follows)
KOSHER SALT and freshly ground BLACK PEPPER
Put the cedar planks in a bathtub or another vessel filled with water. Put something heavy on top of the planks to weigh them down and keep them immersed in the water—depending on the household, this could be a bottle of water, a rock, or a relative. Soak the planks for 2 hours. Turn them over, reweight them, and soak for another 2 hours.
While the planks are soaking, starting with 12 to 15 logs, build a fire in the center of the pit and tuck plenty of kindling and newspaper between them (see Building and Tending an Outdoor Fire). Light the fire 3 hours before you plan to start cooking; light it an hour later if you are using charcoal. Add more wood or charcoal until you have a bed of glowing hot embers 3 to 4 inches deep.
Put the fish in a large vessel, such as an ice chest, and cover it with the brine. Use a formula of 30 minutes per pound of each side of fish; for instance, for a 5-pound side, brine for 21/2 hours.)
Remove the fish from the brine. Rinse the fish and pat dry with clean dish towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper, using 1/2 teaspoon of each per pound of fish. Remove the planks from the water and arrange the fish on the planks.
When the fire is ready, place the planks on the cinder blocks, lowering them into the notches (see diagram). Lay the perforated sheet metal on the cinder blocks to slow down the escaping smoke. Cook the fish over the embers for 25 to 35 minutes, until it is opaque and cooked through. (Use a pair of long tongs to check for doneness; if the fish flakes easily in the thickest part, it is done. When checked with an instant-read meat thermometer, the internal temperature will register 125° to 130°F.) If the planks begin to catch fire, extinguish them with a spray bottle or hose. Add more wood to the fire if it starts to die before the fish is done (see Building and Tending an Outdoor Fire).
Remove the perforated sheet metal and move the planks up to the highest blocks to prevent the fish from overcooking while you get the feast on the table. (Getting 50 people to sit down for dinner might be your biggest challenge of the evening!)