Smoked Salmon Essentials
July 10, 2008
Some Useful Tips On Cold Smoking
Smoked salmon is a regional delicacy enjoyed by almost everyone. The taste is mesmerizing and the ingredients basic, but to many, the techniques for making it seem veiled in smoky secrecy. It’s true that many of those who have mastered the time-earned craft are not likely to give up their smoking secrets easily. But NWC has found a few old-line smokers willing to offer a few tips to help you become smoked salmon savvy.
There are two methods of smoking salmon: hot and cold. Hot smoking is essentially cooking with a very hot smoke. The trademark smoke flavor is imparted by this process but the meat is cooked, not cured, and will have to be eaten immediately, canned, or frozen. Cold smoking is done over a slow, smouldering smoke (70°- 90° F) that dries the meat, concentrating the nutrients and flavor as well as making it less susceptible to decay. Still, what doesn’t get eaten at the smokehouse door should be refrigerated or frozen.
The first thing you will need is a smokehouse. Smokehouses come in all shapes and sizes from revamped refrigerators to plywood shanties to chrome-plated electric models. Popular units are also available from Bradley, Luhr Jensen, and Traeger, but for the do-it-yourselfer, building plans are available online or in one of the many books on the subject. For a heat source most store bought smoking units feature an electric hot plate with an array of hardwood and fruitwood chips to choose from. Many practitioners with custom smokehouses prefer green vine maple or green, de-barked alder.
Okay, you’ve got a smokehouse, now you need salmon. Fresh salmon is available along the Northwest Coast nearly year round, from the rich, oily cuts of spring Chinook to the bright red, dryer selections of sockeye or coho, more prevalent during the summer and fall. Fresh is, hands down, superior but you can also work with salmon from the freezer. Be careful though, because ice crystals can alter the flavor and texture of the salmon as well as make it more porous, allowing it to absorb too much salt during the brining process.
“It takes good salmon to make good smoked salmon,” cautions one veteran smoker. Use only high-quality fish for smoking and be mindful to keep all working surfaces clean and sanitary. If you are starting with a whole fish, remove the fins and fillet it, leaving the skin on. Cut the fillets into smaller, equally sized chunks or strips-this helps insure that all the pieces finish smoking at the same time-and clean them of slime, blood, or any other unappetizing elements.
Brining is a process that can be done either wet or dry, and is the first step in adding flavor to the fish and helping it cure. Most wet brines consist of 3 ingredients: salt, sugar, and water. The salt works to draw the moisture out of the fish and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, while the sugar helps give the fish its caramel color and sweetness. Begin by filling a large container with water and blending in pickling or canning salt until a raw potato floats in the solution. That is usually about 2½ cups of salt per gallon of water. Mix in a cup or 2 of cane sugar. Make enough brine to completely cover all of your fish and gently place the pieces in the container, flesh side down.
Brining times vary depending on the thickness of the cuts, but many people soak the fish for 1 to 4 hours. During this process keep the brining fish in a cool place. Rinse off the excess salt and prepare a spot to dry the fish. The drying process is critical because that is when the pellicle is formed. The pellicle is an invisible coating that seals the moisture in the meat and helps the smoke flavor adhere to the fish. Some people rack their fish and let it air dry in the smokehouse for a couple of hours.
It is now time fire up the smokehouse. If your smokehouse has a thermostatically controlled hot plate, refer to your users manual for this procedure. For those of you with a fire pit, heat control is critical in starting a low, steady fire. Many smokers kindle their fire with dry cedar or alder shavings, adding seasoned or green hardwood as the fire demands. The trick is to generate smoke with as little flame as possible. If the fish gets too hot too fast the oils and fat can boil out creating a very unappetizing finished product.
The actual smoking of the salmon may take over 12 hours depending on the size of the fish and the temperature outside. Bring the internal temperature of the smokehouse up slowly so that the smoke penetrates the fish. For the first 3 to 4 hours, the temperature in the smokehouse should not exceed 90° Fahrenheit. It is recommended that you bring the fish up to 160° Fahrenheit for half an hour, toward the end of the smoking process to ensuring that it is safe to eat. Be sure to check the fish and fire at least once an hour.
The process may seem complicated but with a little practice you too can create great smoked salmon. And once you get comfortable with it, don’t be afraid to make a recipe your own; try adding Tabasco or teriyaki sauce or apple juice. So go out there and smoke some salmon. Remember too, with smokehouse experience almost any fish can be smoked. But be sure to take notes. You can’t learn from your mistakes if you can’t remember what they were. Enjoy.