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25
Cold Smoking Salmon
Cold smoked salmon is even better when homemade, and is much easier to make
than most people think. The salmon will need to be cured before smoking, either
by brining or dry curing. Before the fish goes onto the smoker, it should be kept at
temperatures below 4°C (39°F). Once it is on the smoker, it must not be exposed
to temperatures above 30°C (86°F) – we’d recommend smoking overnight to
ensure lower ambient temperatures. Brines and dry cures are corrosive, so be sure
to use glass, food grade plastic or a high quality stainless steel dish to place the
fish in.
Step 1
Remove all the pin bones from the salmon fillet using long nosed pliers.
Step 2
Mix 1 cup salt with 1/2 cup
brown sugar, grind up some black
pepper and add it to the mix. Then
spread that all over the salmon and
rub it in before covering the whole
fillet with dried dill and wrap it in
foil, cling film or in a re-sealable
plastic bag. You need to put
this into the coldest part of your
refrigerator and put some weight
on it (bags of rice work well). Let
it cure for 24 - 48 hours and turn it
over once about every 12 hours.
Step 3
After 24 - 48 hours, rinse the cure off the salmon under cold running water
and pat it dry with kitchen roll or a clean tea towel. Hang in a cool, dry place
allowing a pellicle (a sticky surface) to form. 12 hours is usually sufficient.
Step 4
Baste the salmon with some bourbon, allowing it to dry slightly before
basting again.
Step 5
Put your salmon in your
ProQ® Water Smoker
, making sure the grill is
very clean, keep the waterpan in to catch any drips of moisture from the salmon.
Light your
ProQ® Cold Smoke Generator
and place it in the charcoal basket. After
12 - 24 hours (this depends how smoky you want it) of smoke, remove the salmon
from the smoker, baste it with an extra virgin olive oil and bourbon mixture and
cover it with dill again. It’s important to not slice it directly after smoking, as it
needs a night in the fridge to let the smoke flavour mellow down.
