Stovetop Smoked Salmon
Growing up spending my summers on a commercial salmon fishing boat in Alaska, I grew a real love for fish, especially salmon. I have so much respect for those fisherman and the amount of work that goes into fresh, wild fish showing up at my supermarket. I can tell you first hand that there is a huge difference between farm raised and wild fish. I always buy wild seafood where it’s an option. Smoked salmon was something we had ALL the time growing up. My mom would build little crackers with cream cheese and salmon for us. It was so yummy and still to this day I think about sitting in our old log cabin when I munch on smoked salmon.
Most of the smoked salmon you find in supermarkets is going to be a lox-style or nova-style salmon where the salmon has been cured or brined and sometimes cold smoked. The kind I grew up eating is hot-smoked salmon where the fish is brined and then cooked all the way through by wood smoke. You could also cook this on a a smoker outside but my tiny apartment doesn't have a real balcony.
Hot Smoked Wild Salmon
Ingredients:
1 filet of wild salmon (I used King)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
about 4 cups of wood chips - I used mesquite
Directions:
Mix the salt, sugar and pepper together in a small bowl. Now about half down on a plate with the filet laying right on top skin side down. Top the fish with the remainder of the brining mixture. Make sure all of the fish is covered. Cover tightly and let brine in the fridge for 4-6 hours. If you’re lazy like me, you can leave in the fridge over night. It just might be extra salty!
Soak your wood chips in water for about 30 minutes then drain. Begin to heat your indoor smoker according to the directions of your pan and add the wood chips into the bottom of the smoker. It should take about 10-15 minutes for your smoker to be hot enough. To test if it is ready or not, take a few drops of water and drop over the wood chips. If it starts to smoke, you are ready to go.
Remove salmon from the fridge and wipe off any remaining mixture, place in the cooker and cover. Do not uncover for at least 30 minutes. Each time you open, it will allow the smoke to leave the pot. If you have a large filet, just add another 10-15 minutes of cooking time.
