# Salmon belly



## moikel (Apr 13, 2012)

I was at market trying to find some fish for the smoker but prices were pretty firm across the board.Bad weather? Farmed salmon from Tasmania was on sale but still running to $14 kg whole fish $23 fillet. Ouch.

So I  found this belly strip $10 a kg,got fin still attached but no bone not much waste.So I figure I might actually do something that I  see on the forum rather than my usual  left field Alpaca,Water buffalo etc.

I remember eating Indian Candy in Vancouver every day at the fish shop at the seabus wharf North Van,so thats where I am headed.

Brine is Yoshida's,brown sugar,salt,cbp,garlic powder ,onion powder. Water.Soak for 3 hours pretty thin pieces ,pellicle over night,then follow the lead of you guys lucky enough to have salmon as a native fish.


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## daveomak (Apr 14, 2012)

Moikel, evening....  The belly is the absolute best eating part of the salmon, and other species for that matter.... The fat content makes it very high in omega 3's and juicy and and and..... One of these days, the world will find out how good it is and the price will tripple....  Wear a bib when you dive into it.....  Dave


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## moikel (Apr 14, 2012)

I know the premium put on tuna belly by Japanese,I figured this was a good deal.They sell a lot as fillet /cutlet so this must come off in the cleaning process.Chinese buy it & they dont miss much!

Only farmed here down in Tasmania which looks a lot like the Pacific Northwest or New Zealand.It is a big acquaculture centre,oysters.mussels & a lot of cold water wild fish.

I just need to be careful with it so it doesn't dry out,its not going to take long to cook.Do you know what glaze they put on it?Is it some sort of maple syrup based thing?


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## daveomak (Apr 14, 2012)

Moikel, are you speaking of the glaze on bellies ???  I think the candied salmon is a butter / brown sugar glaze.... not sure....  it's too sweet for me... I will on occasion use a small amount of white sugar in the butter... I think the molasses is too over powering....  Maybe a small amount of demerara or piloncillo added... since the butter turns to ghee (almost) it is all fat anyway....  I love the flavor of salmon and don't add much to it...  You are right on when you say, "don't overcook it"  As soon as the fat starts to melt, it is done.... I think around 135-140 ish.... don't know... I just look at it....   Dave


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## moikel (Apr 14, 2012)

Thanks Dave it was just a memory from my time on West Coast Canada.I think I will keep it simple. My friends wont have seen it before so too sweet will be a turn off. I will get a window tomorrow & watch it closely.I am an eyeball & feel sort of cook not much margin for error with pieces this thin.


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## terry colwell (Apr 14, 2012)

DaveOmak said:


> Moikel, evening....  The belly is the absolute best eating part of the salmon, and other species for that matter.... The fat content makes it very high in omega 3's and juicy and and and..... One of these days, the world will find out how good it is and the price will triple....  Wear a bib when you dive into it.....  Dave




Its no secret about the belly fat. The Japanese have been commanding top dollar for the bell fat of their favorite fish,, Blue Fin Tuna. They have paid top dollar for these fish for years, They import 80% of the worlds Blue Fin, and the most sought after meat is the Belly Fat. They have paid up to 180,000 for 1 fish. It sales in top end sushi markets for up to $70.00 a SLICE.


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## scubadoo97 (Apr 14, 2012)

DaveOmak said:


> Moikel, evening....  The belly is the absolute best eating part of the salmon;


You got that right


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## moikel (Apr 14, 2012)

Terry Colwell said:


> Its no secret about the belly fat. The Japanese have been commanding top dollar for the bell fat of their favorite fish,, Blue Fin Tuna. They have paid top dollar for these fish for years, They import 80% of the worlds Blue Fin, and the most sought after meat is the Belly Fat. They have paid up to 180,000 for 1 fish. It sales in top end sushi markets for up to $70.00 a SLICE.


They take a lot from our waters down here ,either with their own long liners or theirs.They havent made a lot of friends down here by "cooking the books" on the supposed quotas.

Chinese fish shops here will seperate the belly of deep sea cods for seperate sale,blue eye,bar,hapuka ,bass groper.


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## moikel (Apr 15, 2012)

OK done.I went under not over.I got caught up at an estate sale,then rushed back to try to get stuff done in between  watching the game at the pub with my crew of fellow Tigers supporters. 

SO I figured this,cold smoke for an hour while I  walked dogs etc but set MES at 50c.Then turned it off  kept AMZPS  going while I went out to drink beer cheer the Tigers. Came back 2 1/2 hours later then bumped it to 70c for an hour. 

Pulled it ,done sweet,fatty ,moist perfection. Letting it cool now.Didnt baste it just kept it simple.At $10 kg I am a mile in front.


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## terry colwell (Apr 15, 2012)

They are horrible about draining the ocean of fish.They need to learn conservation to some degree and learn to eat pig...lol


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## moikel (Apr 15, 2012)

Terry Colwell said:


> They are horrible about draining the ocean of fish.They need to learn conservation to some degree and learn to eat pig...lol


We have the whole whale hunting thing down here as well in the Southern Oceans. The reason the Japanese fight so hard to keep killing food that they cant get their own people to eat is they see an end to the whale hunt as the thin end of the wedge .If Westerners can stop whaling they can stop other fishing that the Japanese engage in way way away from their own territorial waters that is unsustainable.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I dont mean to get political here of all places but they dont eat whale!! They freeze it then feed it to people who dont get a choice ,prisons,military,hospitals.Once its frozen it goes black looks terrible Japanese food is all about aesthetic . They have tons of the stuff frozen that they cant give away but they keep killing .If some First Nations people in whatever country want to kill a whale to feed themselves I will help,pass me a filleting tool & fire up the BBQ.But kill it freeze it ship it thousands of miles to sit in a cold store WTF.

Yes they should embrace the swine, & yes I drive Nissan.

I will get back to smoking & get off my soapbox.


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## moikel (Apr 16, 2012)

Salmon belly turned out really well.I didn't baste it I  just took it out of the brine & left it natural.It is fatty,but its that omega 3 stuff that we all get lectured about right. Like I  care all of a sudden
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I think the indian candy I  remember was cooked a bit further & had a glaze.

I will get back to market & get some more farmed fish so weather wont affect supply. Handed out 2 lots at work ,be interested to see the reaction.


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## daveomak (Apr 16, 2012)

Moikel, morning.....  Health food in a snack....  candy full of omega 3's ...  pure genius...  

So, are you going to experiment with different techniques and spices etc.??  I want to be a guinea pig in your test group.....  Dave


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## smokinhusker (Apr 16, 2012)

Salmon belly is good stuff and yours looks super! I'll be tester for your experiments!!!


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## scubadoo97 (Apr 16, 2012)

Moikel said:


> OK done.I went under not over.I got caught up at an estate sale,then rushed back to try to get stuff done in between  watching the game at the pub with my crew of fellow Tigers supporters.
> 
> SO I figured this,cold smoke for an hour while I  walked dogs etc but set MES at 50c.Then turned it off  kept AMZPS  going while I went out to drink beer cheer the Tigers. Came back 2 1/2 hours later then bumped it to 70c for an hour.
> 
> Pulled it ,done sweet,fatty ,moist perfection. Letting it cool now.Didnt baste it just kept it simple.At $10 kg I am a mile in front.




Well that sure looks tasty.  Fatty, unctuous and darn right delicious.


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## moikel (Apr 16, 2012)

It is good I keep telling myself its good fat.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





.I think there will be a bunch of ways to do this in terms of different flavours. My late father used to like that cantonese dish of beef with black pepper & honey,might give that a shot. Chilli going to get  a run maybe with some ginger & palm sugar. 

Will check on test pilots reaction later today,I need an independent opinion .


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## moikel (Apr 17, 2012)

I actually cut the fin out of belly strip to give me 2 bits. Waste not want not I threw the fin bits in brine as well. They are about a bite per bit just the flesh around the hinge really sweet.

There will be a new batch this w/e as I  play around with flavours for the brine,I dont want to get too clever & over power it.Not glazing /basting probably right decision.

Belly probably only available Friday/Saturday when they are cutting for the bigger crowds.Weather turned to *** here now,flash flooding 4 inch of rain in 2 hours. Cant smoke & clear drains at same time.


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