Discerning Chestertonians might recognize the symbol below. It is the mark of Vicco von Voss, local woodworker, furniture maker, timber framer, and all-around-genius. The crest is to be found blazoned into anything Vicco makes, including this humble cedar plank, the fate of which was not to become a table or a chair, but to play a role in an entirely different form of art.

Its journey began in my sink, where (according to Vicco’s instructions), I was to soak it for not more than 90 minutes.

Its destination: my grill, which I was to superheat for 15 minutes.

It’s freight: a 2-lb fillet of wild Alaskan sockeye, covered with a mixture of brown sugar, olive oil, cayenne, and thyme.

Its bedfellows: marinated portobellos and peppers of various shades.

And eggplants, grown in my mother’s garden.

When the vegetables were done, the plank went on the grill. Five minutes on each side.

Once the plank was seasoned, I added the fish. There was a little bit of flame.

Then a little bit more flame.

Then quite a lot of frame. Vicco’s instructions allowed that the wise cedar plank griller would have a squirt bottle of water on hand. Feeling intrepid, I had failed to account for this contingency. But a cup of water, poured carefully around the flaming edges of the plank did the trick.

12 minutes later, the fat oozed from the end of the fish and turned white, just as Vicco’s instructions had suggested would happen at the critical moment.

I took no pictures of us eating the fish. We were all too lost in waves of gustatory pleasure to be bothered.

After dinner, we grilled peaches with a honey glaze.

Alas, the noble plank gets but one trip to the grill. As much as we had bonded throughout a glorious evening, at the end of the night, I had to say goodbye.

Fortunately, there are other planks in the world. And other fillets.

But only one Vicco, I’m quite sure. You really should check out his stuff. It’s quite remarkable.