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smoked salmon

(1 rating)
pwjohnso avatar
Recipe by
Patrick Johnson
@pwjohnso
Kingwood, TX

I tried multiple versions of smoked salmon and finally settled on this, a dry cure/brine version. It is very rich but versitile enough to serve as an appetizer with a siracha aioli or on a salad of your choosing.

(1 rating)
yield 20 -30 appetizer portions
cook time 4 Hr
method Barbecue

Ingredients For smoked salmon

  • 1 c
    kosher salt
  • 1/2 c
    sugar
  • 1/2 c
    dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp
    black pepper corns, crushed
  • 2 lg
    salmon filets, pin bones removed

How To Make smoked salmon

  • 1
    Mix together salt, sugar, brown sugar and peppercorns.
  • 2
    Spread extra-wide aluminum foil a little longer than the length of the fish and top with an equally long layer of plastic wrap.
  • 3
    Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the plastic. Lay 1 side of the fish skin down onto the rub.
  • 4
    Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the flesh of the salmon. Place second side of salmon, flesh down onto the first side.
  • 5
    Use the remaining rub to cover the skin on the top piece.
  • 6
    Fold plastic over to cover then close edges of foil together and crimp tightly around the fish.
  • 7
    Place wrapped fish onto a plank or sheet pan and top with another plank or pan. Weigh with a heavy phone book and refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the fish over and refrigerate another 12 hours. Some juice will leak out during the process so make sure there's a place for the runoff to gather.
  • 8
    Unwrap fish and rinse off the cure with cold water. Pat salmon with paper towels then place in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until the surface of the fish is dry and matte-like, 1 to 3 hours depending on humidity. A fan may be used to speed the process.
  • 9
    Smoke fish over smoldering hardwood chips (I typically use hickory or apple wood), keeping the temperature inside the smoker between 150 degrees F and 160 degrees F until the thickest part of the fish registers 150 degrees. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
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