Smoked salmon season....a different kind of "smoke".

Gogogordy · November 2013

For 23 or so years, I've been using my trusty Luhr Jensen electric to craft what has become a holiday tradition with my family and friends (both of them!) right about this time of year. In time for Thanksgiving, and enough to carry us through New Beer's.

Smoked salmon....Northwest style. That is to say, Alderwood smoked. I dare to say, I'm pretty darn good at it. Not dry, vacuum-packed right off the smoker, with enough oil left in so as to stay moist even a year or so later when thawed and served. I generally produce plain flavored letting the fish and smoke do the talking, with a smaller side-order of black peppered, and red flake peppered pieces for us spicy-likers.

This year I tried for the very first time, a dry brine, v. a wet brine. This cut about 12 hours of of the entire process, and yielded excellent results. Easier clean-up too!

Sooo, here I present last evening's smoke....albeit not by BGE, but I don't need to mess with tradition.

Served cold, with sharp cheddar and your favorite crackers and beer or vino. Delish. A crisp apple also fits in nicely.

Any other eggers also E-smokers? (food that is...not those other crazy gizmos)

bud812 · November 2013

I'll take about 5 lbs of that off your hands. Looks very good.

DMW · November 2013

Do you need my shipping address?

billybon · November 2013

@Gogogordy, what was your dry process and at what temperature did you run the smoker? What was the ambient temp?

Gogogordy · November 2013

2 parts brown sugar, 1 part kosher salt (seasoned to taste with smoked salt), red chili flakes to taste. Pack salmon pieces thuroughyl in the dry mixture and refrigerate for 6-8 hrs. Rinse off and dry the fish, rack it up and let it air-dry for 30-60 mins (allows a "pellicle" layer to form) and smoke in Luhr Jensen (non adjustable) electric smoker with 2 pans alder for 6 hrs +\- (dont petrify it...a little oil showing is good). Temp? Don't know...its either on or its off, there's no thermometer, thermostat, or switch and Ive never needed it. Ambient temp yesterday here in Temecula Ca was mid-60's and cloudy (winter in So-Cal LOL) When forced to smoke skinless salmon (Costco or Sam's) I will spray some PAM on the side that goes on the grates so it won't stick. I prefer it with skin but the bigboxes prefer to sell it without. Also, if going to add pepper flakes or black pepper do it just priorto racking/airdrying so it sticks. I've had my Luhr Jensen smoker since 1990. It's the simplest item available and has produced hundreds of pounds of mouth watering smoked salmon for me and nothing else. I've eyeballed the new, digital smokers at Lowes and Costco but frankly I have no reason to mess with the process....

Botch · November 2013

I'm not an e-smoker (yet) but I've fallen in love with alder-smoked salmon from many TDYs and vacations in the Pacific Northwest (Ivar's, etc). That's more "grilled" than cold-smoked, but I bet both are similar, and fantastic!

I cook salmon on alder planks in my Egg often. Dammit, now I'm hungry again.

billybon · November 2013

@Gogogordy Your recipe reminds me of my mother's technique for smoking fish in her Big-Chief smoker. We ate piles of smoked fish in our youth and had no idea how lucky we were. This time of year the blues and mackeral show up in So Florida and the fish smoking traditions are carried on to the grandchildren.

Gogogordy · November 2013

Botch said:

I'm not an e-smoker (yet) but I've fallen in love with alder-smoked salmon from many TDYs and vacations in the Pacific Northwest (Ivar's, etc). That's more "grilled" than cold-smoked, but I bet both are similar, and fantastic!
I cook salmon on alder planks in my Egg often. Dammit, now I'm hungry again.

Yes, Im from Washington....northwest style for sure. The native style often called "squaw candy" tends to be smoked longer and produces a sturdier tooth. I cease mine a bit earlier (using the same method) leaving it moister (oilier) and milder. Damn, now Im hungry too! Oh, Ivar's Steamer Clams....just saying. Billybon....Im using the Luhr Jense Lil Chief model. Top loader. Antique!

Smoked salmon season....a different kind of "smoke".

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