Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon with a citrus-and-brown-sugar wet brine and a sweet butter-and-soy glaze. Includes an alternative dry-brine method and notes on preparing the fish.
Ingredients
- Salmon
Wet brine
- 3 cups cold water
- 1/3 cup salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- Orange zest
- Lemon zest
- 4 cups ice, to chill and dilute the brine
Glaze for the wet-brine method
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Lemon and orange juice from the zested citrus
Dry-brine alternative
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Kentucky bourbon (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the salmon
- descale
- debone
- trim fins, belly fat, etc
Wet-brine method (recommended)
- Bring the water, salt, brown sugar, and citrus zest to a boil, making sure the salt and sugar dissolve.
- Add in 4 cups of ice to quickly chill and dilute
- Wet brine in fridge for 24 hours if thawed; anyone's guess if frozen
- Rinse off after brine
- Pat dry thoroughly for sticky outside for smoke
- After dab, let sit at room temp for 2 hours
- Set smoker at 150°F
- After an hour, make the glaze
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 stick butter, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and add the lemon and orange juice from the zest before. Take it to boil to get all mixed and dissolved.
- Glaze every 30 minutes
- After 2 hours, turn up to 200°F to push to 140°F and brown a bit more
- Still glaze every 30 min
- Take to 140°F internal for the thickest part
- Let rest for 10-15 minutes
- Add glaze right before serving
Dry-brine method
- Cover in salt/brown sugar blend and fridge for 48 hours
- Rinse and let sit in water to get rid of excess salt
- Put back in fridge uncovered for a few hours to dry out skin
- Optionally, cover with Kentucky bourbon
- Put in smoker at 200°F for about an hour (125–145°F)