My wife LOVES fish, especially salmon. I happen to love my wife, so I figured I'd give it a shot. One of the grocery stores local to me has a good seafood counter, and had a couple of nice fillets.
Prior to smoking, I prepped and cured the fish as follows:
Cut the fillets into more reasonable sizes, about 4" or 5" square.
Dry brine in a mixture of 2 cups light brown sugar, 1/2 cup Kosher salt, 1Tb ground black pepper. I covered the bottom of the glass dish with a layer of the mixture, put the fish in skin-down, put a healthy layer of the mix on the flesh and gently rubbed it in, added the remaining fillets flesh-down, and packed the remaining mix on top and around the pieces. Left to cure for 8 hours, covered, in refrigerator.
Pour out and rinse off all of the cure and liquid.
Set out to develop pellicle while smoker is getting up to temp. (Had she desired, I would have applied any rubs she'd have wanted at this time, but she wanted it just as is.)
Smoke using Alder wood for 2 hours at 200F. I'm using a 4-rack digital Bradley with an Auber controller.
View media item 449129
I'm not a salmon guy - too "fishy" of a fish for my taste, but it was decent - I was expecting a sweet flavor from the brown sugar, but there wasn't much other than fish and smoke. My wife and father in law, however, found it very pleasant, and destroyed 3 pieces in a short time. Very easy process, good results. I'll definitely do this again next time my mother comes to visit - she'll love it.
-Ragnar
Prior to smoking, I prepped and cured the fish as follows:
Cut the fillets into more reasonable sizes, about 4" or 5" square.
Dry brine in a mixture of 2 cups light brown sugar, 1/2 cup Kosher salt, 1Tb ground black pepper. I covered the bottom of the glass dish with a layer of the mixture, put the fish in skin-down, put a healthy layer of the mix on the flesh and gently rubbed it in, added the remaining fillets flesh-down, and packed the remaining mix on top and around the pieces. Left to cure for 8 hours, covered, in refrigerator.
Pour out and rinse off all of the cure and liquid.
Set out to develop pellicle while smoker is getting up to temp. (Had she desired, I would have applied any rubs she'd have wanted at this time, but she wanted it just as is.)
Smoke using Alder wood for 2 hours at 200F. I'm using a 4-rack digital Bradley with an Auber controller.
View media item 449129
I'm not a salmon guy - too "fishy" of a fish for my taste, but it was decent - I was expecting a sweet flavor from the brown sugar, but there wasn't much other than fish and smoke. My wife and father in law, however, found it very pleasant, and destroyed 3 pieces in a short time. Very easy process, good results. I'll definitely do this again next time my mother comes to visit - she'll love it.
-Ragnar