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Smoking is one of the ways of protecting fish against spoilage. Above all, however, it is also a way of providing them with distinctive flavour and aroma.
Fish can be smoked either hot or cold. These two methods differ in smoking temperature and both have their enthusiasts. Irrespective of the method you choose, it is important that you adjust the type of fish meat properly to the type of smoking chosen. The best fish for smoking are those that are oily and fat, a representative of which is salmon, among others.
Therefore, our recipe suggestion to day is related to that fish and it is nothing else than a delicious cold smoked salmon. You simply have to try this delicious dish. Prepare it yourself, it is not difficult.
How to make cold smoked salmon?
PREPARATION:
Fillet the salmon or purchase it deboned already. Rinse the fillet under cold water, dry it using a paper towel and place it onto a drip mesh. The mesh can be placed on a base at an angle in order to facilitate drainage.
Next, sprinkle the fish with a layer of salt, thick enough to be slightly visible on the fish. Do not worry about adding too much salt – the fish is going to accept the proper amount of it anyway!
Leave the salted salmon for 2 hours in room temperature. During that time, part of the salt should become absorbed and the salmon will release some water. Afterwards, wash the fish piece from the salt remains with cold water and dry it using a paper towel. Next, place it on the mesh again and rub maple syrup into it (about 1-2 teaspoon per single piece of about 1.5 kg). Leave the fish to dry. In order to speed up the process, you can take advantage of a fan with cold air. The piece needs to be dry to the touch. The drying may take about 3-4 hours.
Conduct cold smoking in a temperature of 10-20°C for about 6-10 hours, depending on your preferences. You can even spread the smoking process to two days and extend its time.
It is important to ensure goo ventilation and smoke throughput during smoking. To this end, it is a good idea to open the doors sometimes to aerate the inside. Also remember that the smoking smoke should not be too thick.
For cold smoking, we recommend the smoke generator that can be fitted in almost nearly smokehouse. Alternatively, you can buy the whole smoke with a generator.
On the second day after smoking, once the salmon ‘rests’ a little, you can vacuum-pack its pieces, which will automatically extend the fish lifetime and prevent it from becoming dry.
