# First Salmon post... using AKhap's method w/ Qview.



## smokin505 (Feb 10, 2013)

So, I got some salmon this weekend at a decent price so decided to try out a winter salmon smoke session. I grew up with an uncle who had a Salmon Charter Boat business in Westport, Washington and anytime we visited him, I ate the most amazing smoked salmon.  Since it's almost impossible to get good King salmon down here in New Mexico, this was just cheap Atlantic salmon.  C'est La Vie... :) I bought 2.5lbs, which was an entire half-fish filet, cut into 3 chunks...

Per the instructions by AKhap, I brined them in his solution for 90 minutes and then put on drying racks to form the pellicle.













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After about 3 hours under a fan, I got a very thick and noticeable pellicle.  I've never left them that long and now I see what it's supposed to feel like, it was like a hard piece of plastic over the skin.  Not just moist, sticky fish...

I then added a thin coating of maple syrup and spread it around the surface of the fish...













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Next, I covered that with brown sugar. The syrup really helped the sugar to stick onto the fish.  I use little aluminum foil 'boats' so that the sugary goo doesn't run all over the bottom of my smoker....













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I set my MES 30" smoker for 140 degrees, using an AMNPS with Oak pellets and 1 chip tray full of mesquite just to give it an extra bit of kick.  I inserted the probe into the thickest filet and waited for the IT to reach 140 degrees on the fish.  This took quite awhile... after about 4 hours, I raised my smoker temp to 150 degrees and it took about another hour to reach the 140 degrees IT.  I pulled it and was a bit dismayed to find that I had some oil seepage.  I find my MES to keep pretty accurate temps, so I don't think I was much over 140 degrees for very long.  I'm not sure what I did wrong.  Anyway, the oil on the surface may not be pretty, but the fish flaked and tasted great when I tested it.  Now into the fridge for a few days and I'll be able to make a real judgement.













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## akhap (Feb 11, 2013)

Several points here... 

My method does not ever call for mounding sugar atop the fish, especially after the pellicle is produced.  Maple syrup is worse because it is liquid.  Your pellicle was eliminated by the sugars, both because of the liquid syrup and the extra water the sugar drew to the surface.  If you want really sweet fish consider a dip or something similar.  Also, the brine can be sweetened by reducing the salt a bit and increasing the sugar... but try it first without and see what you think.

From the pictures I do not see a heavy pellicle on any of the fish, but that may be a function of the photos.

I go to 140 degrees in the smoker.  I never exceed that temperature.  It is obvious your temp went a bit over 140 and I would guess over 150 by the look of the white denatured ooze.  I say that because the ooze is standing like a proud little bubble above the surface of the fish which means it was denaturing before it really got out of the fish.  Your pellicle being impaired by the sugars caused some of that and the temp was not the only issue.  

There is no need to crank the temperature up just because it is taking a little long.  I usually do at least 50 pounds at a time and I never get it done in just four hours... Eight hours would be fast.  There is an amazing amount of adiabatic cooling going on as water evaporates from the surface of the fish.  The pellicle inhibits that a great deal, retaining moisture in the fish.

Realize this fish can be served raw legally and this is a cooking process, not a preservation process.  140 degrees is plenty safe. To keep commercial hot smoked salmon it is usually either frozen or packed in special retort bags and pressure-cooked.  It is not intended for long-term storage without packaging and other care.


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## smokin505 (Feb 11, 2013)

Thanks for the response!

You are absolutely right, your method certainly doesn't call for any sugar... I always like my fish to have a nice glaze over the top, but it never occurred to me that it would affect the pellicle.  I feel really stupid now... I guess I shouldn't even really call it 'AKhap's method' in retrospect.  And as far as the temperature, I was unsure if the 140 degree mark was purely for internal temperature or for smoker temperature, and since it was getting dark, I decided to give it a shot.  So it looks like the mistakes were all due to my own messing with a recipe... :)   Well, making mistakes is  the best way to learn. Now I may have to get another piece next weekend and try it purely 'by the book'.   :) Thanks again for the awesome advice!


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## akhap (Feb 11, 2013)

No need to feel bad about trying something new...  It is just a situation where simple things are more important than they seem at a quick glance.

That nice glaze you like IS the pellicle...  I dare say you cannot maintain it with a sugar coat...


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## bkleinsmid (Feb 11, 2013)

AKhap......

I started trying to smoke salmon about 7 or 8 years ago. I think I have tried every (or close) wrong way to do them. I went back to your original thread about how you smoke salmon and read it 3 or 4 times.......your info...not all the rest of the stuff. I have 4 line caught, flash frozen and sealed fillets from Northern CA that my neighbor brought back for me. I have pulled it out and will give it a very slow defrost in the refer. Your recipe and these fillets will be smoking come the end of the week. I can't wait to give this a try. thanks for the info.....

Brad


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## kingfishcam (Feb 11, 2013)

I have tried the AKhap method twice now, and my fish came out great!  Thanks for the cooking method AK!
My only deviation was also raising the temp of my smoker to get the last few IT degrees, and only because I was pressed for time.

Nice job on the first try!


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