Fresh Smoked Salmon.

[walleyes]

Thawed out the big 28# day before yesterday and yesterday morning I put it into the brine. 5'cups dark brown sugar to 1 cup course salt. Layer of each and topped off with a layer of brine. After 24 hrs in the brine rinse off excess salt and sugar with brine liquid and into smoker at 140 for bout 5 hrs.

After 24 hrs in brine.


On racks ready to hit smoker,, it's just cured here not smoked yet.


Smoker warmed up and pan of chips ready.


Maple chips.


Ready to pull.


Cooling on the racks.


Vacuum sealed and ready for the freezer.

[AxeMan]

Outstanding! 
All I can say is that salmon is pure gold.
Nothing better than a complete "do it yourself" product.
Interesting that you chose maple wood.  I have only tried apple and alder.

[Sonny]

Dang that looks good,got me drooling over here..

[walleyes]

Thx boys,, it's pretty darn tasty..

I play around with different chips axe,, we usually do use alder this is the first time I have used maple and it sure tastes good,, wouldn't say it's so much better but it's pretty darn good.

We will probably start the canning next week and we will can a couple fish up while we are at it, not the smoked ones but plain canned salmon, mmm that's good stuff too. 

[unclebuck]

Looks fantastic, Terry!!!  Do you use the same recipe as your sister, or do you have your own.  I know that your sister makes some deadly smoked salmon.

[walleyes]

Probably pretty close to the same recipe Rick,, although she may use more salt we like ours more on the candied side. I think we all kind of got the original recipe from Pat and modified it to suit our own tastes.

[weeman]

Looks real good Terry.  My Dad use to fish for salmon and can it as well. When fishin use to be good out near Sooke on the strait of Juan de Fuca back in the early eighties. Those good fishin days are gone...

[KyleSS]

Would you be willing to share the recipe? I've never made smoked salmon but i would like to; I sure do have a bunch of it.

[walleyes]

The recipe is all there Kyle its really no more technical than how its written. You can play with the sugar, salt ratio but I think you will find it to salty if you go more,, unless you like it salty than go 4 to 1 ratio. just start with a small cooler or stainless pot like we use. Pre mix the brine in a large bowl use dark brown sugar and non iodized pickling salt you can if you want add some spice at this time or like I did add some Cajun seasoning to it after you take it out of the brine when its still wet. Put a about 1/2" of the mixer on the bottom of the container then a layer of fish then a layer of brine and so on until all fish is covered,, finish off with a good layer of the mixer over the top. Put container in fridge for 24hrs. When you pull it out as you can see in the pic its mostly turned to a liquid and the fish looks cured. I don't rinse mine off with water if there is excess salt on pieces I just swish it around the liquid in the pot to wash it off. Then like it says into the smoker at 140ish for bout 4 - 6 hours depending on how dry you like it. Just go by feel. Then its out and done its really that simple. It is the simplest and by far the best recipe we have ever used.

At times we will brush the pieces at about mid smoke period with maple syrup for a real candied fish,, its awesome for a change as well or I will add Cajun seasoning into the brine for a real kicker but you have to watch as the peppers heat up as they cook. Play around and see how you like it, its very simple.

[KyleSS]

Ok, thanks for the reply. I thought that was more of a marinade and the brine was something different. thank you for explaining it