Smoked Salmon

otis

I need some suggestions on how to smoke Salmon. What Temperature, how long, Seasoning, Brines, everything. Thanks for your help.

Ryan

When I do salmon on my pit, I usually have the temp at around 250 to 275.[p]Not much to the seasonings for me. Just sprinkle a fair amount of garlic salt over the fillet, space out thinly sliced lemons down the center of the fillet, put small pats of butter in between the lemons, and lay fresh baby dill over all of it.[p]Great stuff. I try and create a pretty heavy smoke while cooking. The fillet should only take about an hour per inch of thickness. When you start getting that cottage cheese lookin' stuff seeping out of the fillet, start checking for doneness with a fork.[p]-Ryan[p]Oh yeah, it also helps when you put the fillet on foil when cooking. Otherwise you're asking for disaster.

Kip

Cottage cheese lookin' stuff. Yummy! ;-)

Ryan

Yeah, yeah, yeah. :-)[p]Anyone who has smoked a bunch of salmon knows what I'm talkin' about. :-)

Aron

Ryan,[p]Is the foil just to prevent the salmon from falling through the grill? Has anyone tried those special fish grills (I believe BGE has one that they market, and I've seen others at home depot) that are basically a metal tray with small holes?

Unknown

Ryan,[p]Here is what I think is the definitive smoked salmon recipe. We have a friend who was a chef at Houston's in Atlanta and I have always liked how they do it.[p]Rub salmon filet with kosher salt. Put less on the thin ends so they won't be salty. Wrap salmon in paper towels. (I used to use bath towels but my wife freaked.) Leave salmon in fridge for 1-2 hours. The towels will get wet from the moisture coming off the salmon. Wash salt off filet.[p]Smoke in egg over hickory wood for 30-40 minutes. I was surprised to learn that they use hickory rather than a milder wood, but trust me it's awesome. I like to serve the next day to allow the smoky flavor to set.[p]I serve with melba toast and the following sauce that Houstons uses:[p]Equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream (about a cup and a half of each)
1 clove garlic
1 bunch fresh tarragon smooshed up
1 tbsp food processed anchovies in can or anchovy paste
A little cayenne pepper[p]Again, let this sit in the fridge overnight to let flavors meld.[p]I serve this at every holiday gathering and it is the first thing to get devoured.[p]Good luck[p][p]

Unknown

TheGunk,[p]Sorry I meant to send to Otis.[p]

Nature Boy

Aron,
I have personally never used foil OR a fish grill when cooking fish, and we do a bunch. The key is to handle carefully, and if you need to flip, only flip once before it starts to want to flake. Use either 2 spatulas, or, if the nerves in your hands are half dead like mine, you can use your fingers to support the fish as you flip.[p]Your mileage may vary, but it works for me...as I like to cook fish direct to get some crusting.[p]Just some thoughts!
Beers!
Chris

Fairalbion

TheGunk,
At what dome temperature do you smoke the salmon?

Unknown

Fairalbion,[p]I usually do around 225-250 in the dome, direct. The only thing that is problematic is that I use the BGE fish grid which makes circle prints on the fish if the grid gets too hot. Makes the salmon look psychedelic if you turn it during cooking and do both sides. Next time I might try indirect to see if that helps.