Living in densely packed Brooklyn, N.Y., has put a damper on my dreams of making smoky backyard barbecue.

I always wanted to roast a pig in a La Caja China box, or ve-ry slow-ly cook ribs in a big old drum smoker, but the sliver-sized backyards of my neighborhood just aren't conducive to anything more than the quick cookout.

Hours of smoke puffing from my address wouldn't be the best way to get in the neighbors' good graces. Several already take issue with our kiddie pool because they think it's the cause of our mosquito problem.

The way I see it, the wafting from a smoker would lure the neighbors over to our house, they'd take a dip in the pool and we'd be the life of the party. (My wife Izabela is not with my fantasy so we never bought the smoker.)

But walking the aisles of one of the big-box stores recently we came across a package of cedar planks with the promise of smoky fish splashed on the packaging. Hmmm. Smoked fish without the need for logs of wood. Sounds good.

Little did I know, cedar plank cooking has been around for a very long time. The Indians in the Pacific Northwest smoked their salmon tied to planks, which imbued the fish with a sweet, smoky flavor. Izabela says the style of cooking still finds its way onto menus in that region and that the technique is not limited to salmon.

Flavor isn't the only benefit of cooking on a cedar plank. The soaked wood helps keep fish moist - dry fish on the grill is an all too common occurrence - and serving your food on the plank makes for an exotic table display.

We didn't do salmon, but a close cousin, Arctic Char. The choice wasn't mine, but it was a good one.

Instead of just sprinkling on some salt and pepper, we marinated the fish in Izabela's favorite combination of white wine, soy sauce and orange juice. I'm sure you'd get a better sense of the cedar flavor if you just lightly spiced the fish, but the sweet cedar infusion was ever present, complementing the marinade nicely.

The first step in preparing the meal is to soak the plank in water for at least an hour. (You don't want it catching on fire.) You can use either the prepackaged plank or an untreated board cut at the lumber yard.

When you are ready to cook, lightly coat the plank with oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Then place the fish skin-side down on the plank. And that's it.

One thing we thought we'd try next time is heating the plank on the grill first so the fish would be seared by the wood - sort of similar to the idea of heating a pan first - and impart more flavor into the fish.

Most recipes we consulted called for a grill that was 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature is easier to manage when you have a gas grill but we don't. For reasons I cannot explain, we were able to get our grill at almost precisely 350, thank you very much.

The goal is to let the fish cook slowly, absorbing the cedar smoke, using indirect heat. On a gas grill that means turning on the two outside burners and setting the plank in the middle. With a charcoal grill, split the coals in half and push the halves to the sides creating a space in the center to plant your plank. Depending on the size of your fish it could take as long as 30 minutes to cook.

Photos and drawings of the original technique shows the fish tied to a long cedar board. The board is stuck into the ground right next to a fire, the heat and smoke rising to cook the salmon and flavor it.

If you have a big backyard and the neighbors are down the road a bit this might be the way to go. If you live where a lawn can be mowed with a pair of poultry shears then the board on the grill is a more prudent - and equally tasty - choice.

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CEDAR PLANK ARCTIC CHAR

Start to finish: 6 1/2 hours (10 minutes active)

Servings: 2

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup orange juice

1 pound arctic char filet, skin on

1 cedar plank (available in the seafood department of most large grocers)

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 orange slices, for garnish

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

In a bowl large enough to hold the fish, combine the soy sauce, white wine and orange juice. Place the fish in the bowl flesh-side down. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, turning the fish a couple of times while marinating.

During the final 1 to 2 hours of marinating, soak the cedar plank in water.

Preheat gas grill to 350 F or build a charcoal fire.

When the fish has finished marinating, brush one side of the cedar plank lightly with the olive oil. Place the fish skin side down on the plank. Arrange the orange slices over the fish. Sprinkle chives on top.

If using a gas grill, turn off one side. If using charcoal, pile the coals to one side. Place the plank over the cool side of the grill, COVER? and cook until the fish is pink in the center and flakes easily, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Let fish rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Serve on the plank.

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Watch the video here: http://asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_lifestyles/kitchenidiot/0907/