Here's how I do mine.I do mine at 225 for hot smoking. It happens really fast so ya gotta watch it really close.The locals snub their noses at pinks although they do grudgingly acknowledge that they are good smoked. They use alder but I can't readily get that so I use oak. The key to smoking salmon - besides proper prep - is to smoke it low and slow. You gotta keep the heat down.I’m sure that’s true. Back in the 80s and 90s I took clients on fishing charters on Lake Michigan. Some years we caught a lot of salmon and lake trout. I would take it to my local butcher, who would smoke it for me. My family and coworkers loved it when I shared with them.I go fishing in SE Alaska every year and smoke pinks and silvers. Nothing store bought can compare.
I just got motivated to smoke some tomorrow.
Oak, hickory and apple wood blend but sometimes all apple wood. Brined the night before and of course it's set out to form the pelicle before it goes in the smoke.
Leave the skin on, rinse the fish with water and remove bones. I use needle nose pliers for that. Next comes the brining.
I dry brine but I have wanted to try a wet brine. The accepted dry brine ratio is 1 cup of salt to 1 cup of sugar. You can use white or brown sugar or some combination. Don't think it matters much. If wet brine it is 1 cup of salt to 1 cup of sugar to 1 gallon of water. If dry brining dredge in dry brine mixture and let sit for ~45 minutes and then rinse thoroughly and allow to dry overnight in a nice cool spot (I put a fan on it). This is what creates the pellicle which is what the smoke actually sticks to. No pellicle, no smoke flavor. I let my fish dry overnight. The longer you let it dry the better the finished product is.
It's very important to rinse the fish thoroughly after brining. This is true whether using dry or wet brine. If dry brining it is very important to not let the brine stay on it more than 45 minutes. Thinner fillets should probably be less. For wet brining it doesn't matter how long you brine it as long as you use the above ratios. If wet brining it will need to brine at least 4 to 8 hours. Which is why most Alaskans dry brine. It's more efficient and takes less time.
To smoke it go low and go slow. Otherwise if you hit it with too much heat too early albumin will start oozing out of the fish. It doesn't have any taste but it doesn't look appetizing. They call it white boogers. Which sounds nasty. Bottom line is that the albumin won't affect the taste but going low and slow will produce a better product.
I smoke at 80 to 100 F for as long as I can. 120F is OK but try to stay well below 140 F. 140F is bad. Depending on the temp and thickness of the filets, smoke time is somewhere between 3 to 8 hours. I take it off by touch. I want it to be firm but not dry. I eat what I can then wrap the leftovers in saran wrap (always cook lots of extras) then vacuum seal it. Wrapping in saran wrap before vacuum sealing will keep oil in the fish and make a better vacuum seal. You can keep it like that in the fridge for a month with no issues. Then when I serve it I take it out of the fridge and let it sit out for 4 hours (in the vacuum sealed pouch) to let it warm to room temperature and it will be almost as good as when it came out of the smoker. You will know you did it right if the fish is oily AF when you take it out of the vacuum sealed bag. My fish is literally dripping oil off of it.
Last thing. The most amazing part of salmon to smoke is the belly. It is no contest. If you have never had smoked salmon bellies you should try it before you die.
That's all I have on the how to.
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