More fish eaters are turning to salmon consumption these days because of its high nutritional value and of course, it is delicious as well. It is among one of the most nutritional fish you can eat. Only those that live in the right areas are able to catch them in the wild, but luckily for everyone that likes them, they are available in most high end grocery stores and fish markets. Salmon can be served in a variety of ways. You can make them into fried salmon patties, which is a favorite in the southern US, you can bake them, grill grill, serve them in salads and you can also smoke them.
There are two different methods to smoke salmon in a smoker, which produce slightly different results. We’ll cover hot smoking first, which is the easier and faster way, and move on to cold smoking, which actually preserves the fish for a longer period than hot smoking, in the second part.
Selecting and Cutting the Salmon
Any type of salmon can be smoked, though most people prefer the wild sockeye. It’s easily recognizable for its red color and strong taste. Needless to say, if you purchase your fish, make sure it’s very fresh and can be safely transported to your home. But keep in mind that salmon that’s been previously frozen is also suitable for smoking, once it’s been thawed. Cut the salmon into fillets or steaks – it’s important not to attempt to smoke the whole fish, since it’s too thick and the inside will remain raw. You can leave the skin on or take it off, depending on your preferences. The skin has a strong flavor that some like, but some do not.
Brining and Drying
There are two main methods of brining. The European method, also known as dry curing, is a simple combination of sugar and salt, used to cover the fish pieces. The more popular wet brining allows you to experiment with different spices and flavors. The basic brine is a combination of about two and a half tablespoons of salt and a cup of water, but you can enhance it by adding sugar, olive oil and any herbs or spices you like. Sugar is quite important in this mix, because the smoking process makes the fish a bit bitter. Over brining can ruin the fish because it will be so salty it could be inedible. Other common ingredients people like to use in their brine are crushed garlic, finely chopped onion, fennel and bay leaves. The brining helps to preserve the fish as smoking is meant to do.
It is best to use either a glass or plastic pan for the brining process. Metal pans can be reactive to the fish. Check that the brine is not warmer than 40 degrees F, cover the salmon pieces completely with it, and place them in the refrigerator for at least two hours, but you can allow up to eight hours for brining, if you want a more intense flavor.
When you remove the salmon from the brine, rinse it with cold water and allow about two hours for drying. This is an essential step – fish has to be allowed to air-dry at a relatively low temperature, but not in the refrigerator. If you do not have a room with a suitable temperature, you can use the refrigerator, but the drying will take considerably longer, up to 12 hours. You’ll know it’s dry enough when you’ll notice a clear pellicle forming on the surface – this will prevent the liquids from dripping out during the smoking process and also allows the smoke to adhere to the fish more easily.
Best Fuel for Smoking Salmon
The type of fuel used greatly impacts on the flavor. Typically, salmon is smoked using alder, so this is the best solution to give you a taste you’d recognize. You can experiment with anything else (the expensive cherry wood produces some very interesting results, while hickory will give a flavor similar to bacon, which is a love-or-hate kind of taste), but stay away from charcoal briquettes, since their high content of glue will damage the fish and you are not likely to like the taste of the results either. You might also try apple wood, almond and oak. Never use pine because it gives off a resin that will make the fish taste bad and never, ever use treated wood because it can be poisonous.
Hot Smoking Salmon in a Smoker
You’ll need a low temperature for smoking salmon, so make sure there are no flames. You’ll probably want to grease the racks, so that they don’t stick. You can also place the pieces of fish on tin foil, if you want to – just make sure the foil is not very large, to allow the free circulation of smoke.
Now you simply place the salmon in the smoker, and wait… and wait. Do not let the temperature get higher than 220 degrees F; it will take about 2 hours per pound for best results, about an hour for fairly thin fillets. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the temperature in the thickest part of the fish is at least 160 degrees F – removing it before reaching the right temperature means it is still raw, and this can have dire consequences on your health. And now you’re (finally) done! You can eat the smoked salmon warm or cold, you can store it in the refrigerator for a few days, and it also freezes well.
Cold Smoking Salmon in a Smoker
Cold smoking requires a smoker specifically designed for this purpose. Make sure this is clearly printed in the user manual – basically it should provide a temperature that doesn’t get higher than 100 degrees F, for long periods of time. The process is similar to the one described for hot smoking, but everything takes longer. Allow 8 up to 12 hours for brining, and another 12 hours for drying (which has to be done in a refrigerator, so make sure you have enough space). The smoking itself takes 14-16 hours, and the longer, the more intense flavor you’ll obtain. The final product is closer to the commercially available types, and can be stored for weeks in the refrigerator; again, it can be frozen for up to six months without problems especially if it is vacuum sealed.
