Seafood Smoked Salmon Recipe

[Jim6820]

I have always dry-brined my salmon/trout and that avoids the over-saltiness. Here’s my personal recipe, developed over 60 years of smoking fish (and used exclusively for the past 50 years).

Combine:
1/3 cup coarse sea salt
2 cups Demerara brown sugar (I’ve tried other sugar types, but Demerara is best)
1 T onion salt
1 T garlic salt
1 T celery salt
1 T dry mustard
1 T coarse black pepper

Mix well before using. Adjust recipe quantities to amount of fish. The quantity shown is sufficient for a couple of nice salmon filets.

Cut salmon into 3-4” square pieces; slice thick pieces to not more than 1/2” thick. Skin can be left on or removed as desired. (I like to remove it, but that’s just personal preference.)

Use a non-reactive baking dish (glass preferred), put down one layer of salmon and liberally sprinkle on the dry brine mix. Alternate successive layers of fish and brine mix. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or foil, sealing tightly, and refrigerate for 12-36 hours. Longer is better.

Remove fish from baking dish and discard the brine liquid that has formed. Rinse fish pieces thoroughly in fresh water and place them on well-oiled wire racks, leaving small spaces between them. Allow fish to dry to a tacky finish (about an hour in the sun) and then place fish in the smoker. (I usually leave the pieces on the wire racks and place the whole thing in the smoker.)

Smoke at the lowest possible temperature. In my dedicated fish smoker, I shoot for 130-150F. Smoke until the fish feels firm and nearly dry to the touch (3-6 hours, depending on quantity of fish and weather conditions). On the pellet grill, I smoke it on the Low setting (about 180F) and reduce the time accordingly, still judging by feel.

When done, remove fish from smoker and let it cool for about an hour. Then refrigerate in ZipLoc plastic bags or put in freezer bags and vacuum-seal before freezing, as desired. Refrigerated smoked salmon will keep for about two weeks; frozen, it will keep for about 6 months if vacuum-sealed.

 

[Nikeguy53]

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[TheRicker]

I have always dry-brined my salmon/trout and that avoids the over-saltiness. Here’s my personal recipe, developed over 60 years of smoking fish (and used exclusively for the past 50 years).

Combine:
1/3 cup coarse sea salt
2 cups Demerara brown sugar (I’ve tried other sugar types, but Demerara is best)
1 T onion salt
1 T garlic salt
1 T celery salt
1 T dry mustard
1 T coarse black pepper

Mix well before using. Adjust recipe quantities to amount of fish. The quantity shown is sufficient for a couple of nice salmon filets.

Cut salmon into 3-4” square pieces; slice thick pieces to not more than 1/2” thick. Skin can be left on or removed as desired. (I like to remove it, but that’s just personal preference.)

Use a non-reactive baking dish (glass preferred), put down one layer of salmon and liberally sprinkle on the dry brine mix. Alternate successive layers of fish and brine mix. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or foil, sealing tightly, and refrigerate for 12-36 hours. Longer is better.

Remove fish from baking dish and discard the brine liquid that has formed. Rinse fish pieces thoroughly in fresh water and place them on well-oiled wire racks, leaving small spaces between them. Allow fish to dry to a tacky finish (about an hour in the sun) and then place fish in the smoker. (I usually leave the pieces on the wire racks and place the whole thing in the smoker.)

Smoke at the lowest possible temperature. In my dedicated fish smoker, I shoot for 130-150F. Smoke until the fish feels firm and nearly dry to the touch (3-6 hours, depending on quantity of fish and weather conditions). On the pellet grill, I smoke it on the Low setting (about 180F) and reduce the time accordingly, still judging by feel.

When done, remove fish from smoker and let it cool for about an hour. Then refrigerate in ZipLoc plastic bags or put in freezer bags and vacuum-seal before freezing, as desired. Refrigerated smoked salmon will keep for about two weeks; frozen, it will keep for about 6 months if vacuum-sealed.

Thank you for taking the time to share these details. I’ve not smoked fish before but I’d like to try it. I like eating it.

I might be willing to give it a try now.

 

[SmokeOCD]

I've only smoked fish once. It seemed like the aroma lingered on for quite some time in my smoker, so I never did it again.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

I'll smoke a salmon fillet or two once in a while. We've come to like it somewhere between grilled and traditional "cold smoked". Last time I did smoked salmon was Christmas, IIRC. I do a very simple recipe/technique which lets the natural flavors of the salmon and smoke come through. It takes roughly a couple hours. I put the salmon either on a piece of greased foil in a cookie sheet (if it doesn't have the skin on) or on the greased rack and skin (if it has skin on). I use a savory rub and moderately season. Set the Bull for 200F and let it run until I get 150F ish in the thick area of the fillet. The fish is still soft and moist and has a nice smokey flavor. Very easy. I like cherry pellets and recently used some wine vine pellets that were very good too.

 

[houseman]

I cook it in an aluminum foil boat using olive oil for a binder adding Meat Church Honey Hog and Holy Cow rubs. Cook it at 225 until 145 internal, unfold the boat to cover the whole filet and let it rest for 30 minutes inside the foil. If a thousand cooks respond to this post you will get a thousand different ways to cook salmon.

 

[Jim6820]

If a thousand cooks respond to this post you will get a thousand different ways to cook salmon.

Yep! And, they probably will all be pretty good. Salmon is a pretty easy and forgiving cook—unless you overcook it. As long as you pull it when it starts to flake easily with a fork, you will have good salmon.

 

[Jgmantle]

I have always dry-brined my salmon/trout and that avoids the over-saltiness. Here’s my personal recipe, developed over 60 years of smoking fish (and used exclusively for the past 50 years).

Combine:
1/3 cup coarse sea salt
2 cups Demerara brown sugar (I’ve tried other sugar types, but Demerara is best)
1 T onion salt
1 T garlic salt
1 T celery salt
1 T dry mustard
1 T coarse black pepper

Mix well before using. Adjust recipe quantities to amount of fish. The quantity shown is sufficient for a couple of nice salmon filets.

Cut salmon into 3-4” square pieces; slice thick pieces to not more than 1/2” thick. Skin can be left on or removed as desired. (I like to remove it, but that’s just personal preference.)

Use a non-reactive baking dish (glass preferred), put down one layer of salmon and liberally sprinkle on the dry brine mix. Alternate successive layers of fish and brine mix. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or foil, sealing tightly, and refrigerate for 12-36 hours. Longer is better.

Remove fish from baking dish and discard the brine liquid that has formed. Rinse fish pieces thoroughly in fresh water and place them on well-oiled wire racks, leaving small spaces between them. Allow fish to dry to a tacky finish (about an hour in the sun) and then place fish in the smoker. (I usually leave the pieces on the wire racks and place the whole thing in the smoker.)

Smoke at the lowest possible temperature. In my dedicated fish smoker, I shoot for 130-150F. Smoke until the fish feels firm and nearly dry to the touch (3-6 hours, depending on quantity of fish and weather conditions). On the pellet grill, I smoke it on the Low setting (about 180F) and reduce the time accordingly, still judging by feel.

When done, remove fish from smoker and let it cool for about an hour. Then refrigerate in ZipLoc plastic bags or put in freezer bags and vacuum-seal before freezing, as desired. Refrigerated smoked salmon will keep for about two weeks; frozen, it will keep for about 6 months if vacuum-sealed.

With a nick name like Crazy O'l Basque, gotta tell you. I drank too many Pecan's one night. Not a pleasant morning. But damn good food.

 

[Jim6820]

The problem with Picons is that they taste good, pack a punch and go down easily; way too easily as you apparently found out.