To me, smoked salmon used to seem a pinnacle of culinary art. I seriously thought only chefs are able to pull it off and never tried it. Until of course, I realized, that it’s actually pretty simple to make, albeit it takes a bit of time. But that is always the case with smoking things.
Anyway, this smoked salmon is cooked in brine first and then is smoked on a grill with wood chips and the result is so, so delicious divine, you will stop understanding how it was that you even bought smoked salmon off the shelf instead of making your own.
The process takes a few hours, but if you distribute your time right, most of this time will be idle and you won’t actually have to spend a lot of time cooking.
The important stage is the brining. The ratios of salt, sugar, water and herbs are important so is the timing the salmon should spend in the brine. If you don’t keep to the rations or the timing, you might end up with the fish that is too salty or tastes bland. I also don’t recommend changing the size of the salmon pieces, because the size and thickness of the filet affects the final flavor and level of saltiness just as much as the brining.
When you’re done brining, you can cut up the filets for more comfortable handling, if you wish. And one last thing absolutely do not skip the pellicle stage. It is very important for a proper texture and a proper smoking procedure.
Follow the instructions below and I hope you have fun with this recipe.
