Smoked salmon is a dish for special occasions. In fact, smoking makes this fish even tastier. With the right equipment, you can smoke salmon at home, but remember that this process could cause the formation of dangerous bacteria and that it is therefore important not to eat freshly smoked fish but to freeze it or keep it canned.
Remember: It is assumed that you already own a smoker and that you know how to use it for hot or cold smoking.
Ingrediants
- Salmon
- Brine (300 g of salt, 1.7 l of water every 0.9-1.4 kg of fish)
Steps
Step 1. Choose only fresh fish
Clean the fish and keep it on ice while you prepare what you need for smoking.
Step 2. It is better to choose to cut it into slices when dealing with a large fish, although it is easier to deal with a whole fish in the drying phase
Choose fish of similar size if you have decided to smoke more than one at the same time
Method 1 of 6: Soak the fish in the brine
The brine will firm up the fish, improving its consistency and delaying the formation of bacteria at the time of smoking. Unless you have opted for cold smoking, do not leave the fish to soak in the brine for too long or you could cause the formation of bacteria or hardening of the meat once smoked. For hot smoking, season the fish by sprinkling it with a mixture of salt and spices or marinating it briefly.
Step 1. Prepare a mixture of water and salt, respecting the proportions indicated in the list of ingredients
Step 2. Immerse the fish in the brine
Let it rest for 1 hour.
Step 3. Drain and remove the fish
Rinse it to remove too much salt, you can help yourself with a hard brush.
Method 2 of 6: Dry the fish
Drying the salmon well ensures regular smoking and the formation of a sort of shiny film on the surface of the meat.
Step 1. Dry the fish at the right temperature
The best choice is to dry the salmon with dry air at a temperature between 10 and 18ºC. Other ways are:
- Drying in the open air: Make sure the salmon is in the shade or the sun will spoil the meat.
- Use a smokehouse: Set the temperature between 26 and 32ºC, without smoke, and leave the door open.
Step 2. As soon as the film has formed, move on to smoking
Method 3 of 6: Prepare the Fish for Smoking
Step 1. Hang the fish so that air can circulate around it
You could use an “S” hook or lay it out on a grid securing it with pins. Alternatively, lay the fish whole or in slices on a well-greased wire mesh.
Method 4 of 6: Smoke the Fish
Step 1. For cold smoking, follow these instructions (it is assumed that you know how to cold smoke):
- For short-term storage (one week maximum), smoking will take 24 hours.
- The time required to smoke thicker pieces and long-term storage is 5 days.
- Start with a little smoke (use the fan for a third of the time the smoking will last), then increase the amount while maintaining the temperature below 32ºC.
Step 2. Hot smoking will take you 6-8 hours (it is assumed that you know how to hot smoke)
Maintain the oven temperature at 37ºC for the first 2-4 hours, then bring it to 60ºC until the salmon meat is easy to flake.
Step 3. During the process, allow the internal temperature of the fish to reach 71ºC for a minimum of 30 minutes to eliminate the bacteria
- To do this, the smoker must be left at a temperature between 93 and 107ºC for at least 30 minutes.
- To measure the internal temperature of the fish, use a meat thermometer.
Step 4. After 30 minutes continue to smoke the fish keeping its temperature around 60ºC
Step 5. It is not that easy to keep the temperature constant throughout the process
If it seems too difficult to do this or if the smoker is not for you, do not despair. You can always buy fresh salmon and take it to an artisan smokehouse.
Method 5 of 6: Storing Smoked Salmon
Step 1. Remove the salmon from the smoker
To prevent bacteria from forming, you need to process it right away.
Step 2. For short-term storage:
let the fish cool completely, then wrap it in cling film (doing it while it is still warm could cause mold to form). To really make sure it doesn't get moldy, wrap the salmon in cheesecloth before using the plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator and consume it within 1 to 2 weeks.
Step 3. For long-term storage:
Let the fish cool completely, then wrap it in food grade plastic and freeze it.
Method 6 of 6: Cooking the Smoked Salmon
Instead of smoking the salmon, you could cook it in such a way that it looks smoked. In this case, the fish must be eaten as soon as it is cooked. If you have a tabletop smoker, follow the instructions. Otherwise, try a wok:
Step 1. Turn the wok into a quick smoker
To do this, line it with aluminum foil.
Step 2. On the base of the wok, pour 110 g of tea leaves, 250 g of rice and 2 teaspoons of sugar
Step 3. Place a wok grill over the ingredients and place the salmon on the grill (steaks or whole fish)
Step 4. Close the wok with the lid
Use aluminum foil to seal it.
Step 5. Cook over high heat
Continue cooking for 5 minutes, then lower the heat.
Step 6. Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat
Halfway through cooking, check that everything is going well.
Step 7. Serve immediately on the table
Any portion that cools should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a day or two. Do not leave the salmon at room temperature for a long time. It is not "smoked", it just tastes like it.
Advice
- Use these instructions for smoking salmon but not other types of fish. The timing is different.
- Which wood to use? It depends on what type of wood you have available and which one you like best. Americans prefer walnut, while the British often choose oak. Other types of wood used are beech, apple, chestnut, birch and maple.
- There are many electric kitchen smokers on the market that could make your life easier. Read the instructions in the package. To give the salmon a better flavor, look for a smoker that can burn oak or walnut sawdust.
Warnings
- Be careful to prevent bacteria from forming. Don't take any of the steps lightly and if you think you were inaccurate, throw the fish in the trash.
- Temperatures must be kept constant and must never drop below the recommended levels. If this happens, or if you think the temperature has fluctuated during cooking, throw the fish away and try again.
