Smoking

Salmon

Salmon runs around $6/pound
Smoked salmon runs around $28-30/pound

Is the work/smell/mess worth the price difference? Probably Not. But, it could be fun for some.

Create a dry brine by adding salt, sugar (part white, part brown), pepper, all spice, bay leaves, mase/Nut Meg, cloves. Find a container large enough to hold the fish flat. Cover the bottom of the container with the brine. Lay down the fatty Atlantic salmon, cote with scotch. Cover with more dry brine. Cover with a tray/cutting board and more weights (large cans). Place in fridge for about a day. The liquid will seep out of the fish and the brine will turn to liquid. The fish will turn hard like a board. This is when it’s ready for the smoker.

My dad highly recommends the Bradly Smoker. You have to make a special kind of box with a cleaner hose in order to cold smoke the salmon. Hot smoking will create a whole different texture (cooked salmon) what you want is cold smoked salmon.

FYI – Lox is cured through salting smoked salmon is cooked through smoking. Lox will have a stronger flavor and smoked salmon has a more subtle taste.