Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

smoked salmon

Jeff
Jeff Posts: 75
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
what is the best way to do smoked salmon on the bge and what brines and/or marinades should i use when doing so?

Comments

  • EdF
    EdF Posts: 42
    jeff,[p]Check out http://www.3men.com/smokeit.htm[p]I haven't tried their approach yet, but it rings like it works.[p]- Ed
  • Gandolf
    Gandolf Posts: 906
    jeff,
    I think you gotta go with Gretl's Bourbon Glaze recipe. It's fabulous....

  • BarbieQ
    BarbieQ Posts: 41
    Ed F,
    I have used the "3 men" techniques several times now, thanks to someone's advice on this forum (sorry I don't remember who) and it turns out fabulous! I recommend it highly.

  • Sippi
    Sippi Posts: 83
    Gandolf,
    I fully agree. Gretl's bourbon glazed salmon found in the recipe section is really hard to beat. Thanks Gretl!

  • Vogs
    Vogs Posts: 41
    jeff,[p]Here is the recipe I use for smoked salmon. The last time I made it I got rave reviews.[p][p] 1 cup kosher salt
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/2 cup dark brown sugar
    1 tablespoon crushed black
    peppercorns
    2 large salmon fillets or sides, pin bones removed[p] In a bowl, mix together salt, sugar, brown sugar and
    peppercorns. Spread extra-wide aluminum foil a little
    longer than the length of the fish and top with an equally
    long layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the
    plastic. Lay 1 side of the fish skin down onto the rub.
    Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the flesh of the salmon. Place
    second side of salmon, flesh down onto the first side. Use
    the remaining rub to cover the skin on the top piece. Fold
    plastic over to cover then close edges of foil together and
    crimp tightly around the fish. [p]Place wrapped fish onto a plank or sheet pan and top with
    another plank or pan. Weigh with a heavy phone book or a
    brick or two and refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the fish over and refrigerate another 12 hours. Some juice will leak out during the process so make sure there’s a place for the
    runoff to gather.
    Unwrap fish and rinse off the cure with cold water. Pat
    salmon with paper towels then place in a cool, dry place
    not the refrigerator) until the surface of the fish is dry and matte-like, 1 to 3 hours depending on humidity. A fan may be used to speed the process. [p]Smoke fish over smoldering hardwood chips, keeping the temperature inside the smoker between 150 degrees F and 160 degrees F until the thickest part of the fish registers 150 degrees. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. [p]Vogs[p]

  • jeff,[p]If your looking for something simple yet pretty darn good, I always do salmon as follows:[p]Get a nice salmon fillet, I usually do a 1 to 1.5 lb. Rinse it & pat dry with paper towels. Rub the meat side with olive oil and dust it lightly with your favorite spice mix, I usually use a store bought brand such as lowry's seasoned salt, everglades seasoning, italian spices, really anything you like.[p]Place it on a fish grate skin side down and use a couple of fire bricks to elevate it above the grid.[p]Smoke it about 45 minutes to an hour at 200 to 225 using alder or some other mild wood. I cook the whole fillet & then cut it into serving size portions. [p]My wife loves it & won't let me try it any other way!
    Simple yet quite tasty. [p]Happy Cooking

  • jeff,[p]I smoked a whole salmon many years ago on my jotul wood stove. I put it on a rack on the baffle inside the stove. Loaded it with green ash (the only wood I know that you can heat or cook with green - very low moisture content) and turned the stove down as low as it would go. About two hours later I took it off. It was the stuff legends are made of. From that time on my neighbor brought me a whole salmon to smoke each winter until he died. I've got to get a ceramic smoker and try one again.[p]pastor_chuck
  • jeff,
    Keep is simple use Big Green Egg seasioning with a few pecan and maple smoke pellets

  • jeff,[p]After years of smoking salmon and trout in British Columbia here are some suggestions. If using whole fish under about 4 pds leave the head on and filet from inside, cutting next to the backbone on one side only and to, but not through, the skin. Open filet and place in brine. Or if using a brown sugar/salt cure rub on filet, set in plastic bin skin down, put a plate on top, and weight the plate. After brining or curing the next important step is to air dry the fish. If whole suspend by the head so fish can drip. If a filet then set on a rack. Using a fan speeds the process. When the flesh is tacky (develops a pellicle; takes a couple of hours) it is ready to smoke. This step is necessary for the correct texture. Set in the Egg skin down. Alder is the preferred wood for smoking salmon. [p]