Post by smokey on Dec 31, 2013 15:10:36 GMT 10
This is quite easy to do if you have a way to create smoke for a length of time, and a vessel to smoke in.
The pics below show my set up and it works perfectly.
First up, there is all sorts of recommended temps out there for the smoking process.
Some say 25.5°C is optimum and no more than 26.6°C. Others say no more than 23°C.
I’m in the latter camp and prefer to do this in the winter time when its between 12-18°C.
It just works for me and provides me with a degree of confidence that I am within safe tolerance to a large degree.
Once I make this it is cryovaced whole to mellow for a few days then sliced into 250g serving packs, re cryovaced and FROZEN.
Freezing kills bugs that would not normally be killed if eaten straight from the cold smoker.
Its just another tool to stay in the safe side and it does not take away from the finished product. In fact it improves it.
Its also worth buying a whole fish as its usually cheaper. Have it filleted and ALL pin bones removed and leave the skin on.
The dill is optional, The real stars of the party is the Scotch and the dark brown sugar. I’ve done this with other spices added and they seem to crash the party to the point its not smoked salmon you can taste. Let the salmon do the talking.
Onto the recipe.
Ingredients
Atlantic Salmon or Ocean Trout slabs Skin on (Important as it holds the fish slab together until slicing time)
3 to 1 Salt / Dark Brown sugar mix - You will need a lot of salt, I buy 20kg bags of butchers flossy salt for around $15.
Half cup of Scotch Whiskey
Dried dill (Optional)
Method
Dry brine the Salmon
Make up a 2cm thick bed of salt/ sugar mix in a large non reactive deep pan and lay the slabs skin side down.
Then pack more salt/sugar mix over the top like this and then place in the fridge for 24 hours.
Soak
After 24 hours take it out and rinse off the cure then soak it for an hour in cold fresh water. This 1 hour just seems to work.
Use plenty of water, Say in a large "clean" sink. Change water once or twice.
Then paper towel dry them and place onto a drying tray like this
Drying/ Flavoring/Pellicle/ salt equalization
Once on the drying rack skin side down, Brush on a wee dram of the Scotch Whiskey and set back into the fridge for 12 hours
Add more whiskey every hour for the first 3-4 hours then let it for a pellicle. A pellicle looks like a dry shiny outer crust.
Ready for cold smoking
At this point you have a product called LOX and is ready to be eaten. Its just not smoked.
For the smoking I bought a new old style garbage can and a cold smoking product called a Smokai.
It burns pellets or small wood chips and is kept chugging along via an fish tank type air pump.
The extension tube is a 16mm hanger tube and is there to help cool the smoke. Probably not needed depending on your "smoke house"
I was just fore thinking to keep the smoke as cold as I could.
Here are a few pics of my set up
Onto the smoke
Another area that most confuses is how long to smoke for. Some say a few hours and some say up to 24 hours
Both are at the extreme IMO.
I smoke to color and not time. Once it gets a nice golden color I take them out.
Generally this takes six hours on my set up
On with the Salmon, The smoke I use is beech / hickory blend but mostly beech
After the smoke
Once they are done they need wrapping and mellowing in the fridge straight away.
Glad wrap or cryocac will do.
At this point you add the dried dill if you like. Just a sprinkle on the flesh side then wrap and store for 24-48 hours.
This is them out of the smoker and wrapped and ready for mellowing
At this point your done.
After mellowing, I then skin them and cut them into portion size and re pack for freezing.
I make enough in the cold winter to last the year, Last winter’s cold smoking I did three whole large Salmon.
The great thing is I have salmon more often, Made savings on retail and it tastes better than factory product.
Thanks for reading
The pics below show my set up and it works perfectly.
First up, there is all sorts of recommended temps out there for the smoking process.
Some say 25.5°C is optimum and no more than 26.6°C. Others say no more than 23°C.
I’m in the latter camp and prefer to do this in the winter time when its between 12-18°C.
It just works for me and provides me with a degree of confidence that I am within safe tolerance to a large degree.
Once I make this it is cryovaced whole to mellow for a few days then sliced into 250g serving packs, re cryovaced and FROZEN.
Freezing kills bugs that would not normally be killed if eaten straight from the cold smoker.
Its just another tool to stay in the safe side and it does not take away from the finished product. In fact it improves it.
Its also worth buying a whole fish as its usually cheaper. Have it filleted and ALL pin bones removed and leave the skin on.
The dill is optional, The real stars of the party is the Scotch and the dark brown sugar. I’ve done this with other spices added and they seem to crash the party to the point its not smoked salmon you can taste. Let the salmon do the talking.
Onto the recipe.
Ingredients
Atlantic Salmon or Ocean Trout slabs Skin on (Important as it holds the fish slab together until slicing time)
3 to 1 Salt / Dark Brown sugar mix - You will need a lot of salt, I buy 20kg bags of butchers flossy salt for around $15.
Half cup of Scotch Whiskey
Dried dill (Optional)
Method
Dry brine the Salmon
Make up a 2cm thick bed of salt/ sugar mix in a large non reactive deep pan and lay the slabs skin side down.
Then pack more salt/sugar mix over the top like this and then place in the fridge for 24 hours.
Soak
After 24 hours take it out and rinse off the cure then soak it for an hour in cold fresh water. This 1 hour just seems to work.
Use plenty of water, Say in a large "clean" sink. Change water once or twice.
Then paper towel dry them and place onto a drying tray like this
Drying/ Flavoring/Pellicle/ salt equalization
Once on the drying rack skin side down, Brush on a wee dram of the Scotch Whiskey and set back into the fridge for 12 hours
Add more whiskey every hour for the first 3-4 hours then let it for a pellicle. A pellicle looks like a dry shiny outer crust.
Ready for cold smoking
At this point you have a product called LOX and is ready to be eaten. Its just not smoked.
For the smoking I bought a new old style garbage can and a cold smoking product called a Smokai.
It burns pellets or small wood chips and is kept chugging along via an fish tank type air pump.
The extension tube is a 16mm hanger tube and is there to help cool the smoke. Probably not needed depending on your "smoke house"
I was just fore thinking to keep the smoke as cold as I could.
Here are a few pics of my set up
Onto the smoke
Another area that most confuses is how long to smoke for. Some say a few hours and some say up to 24 hours
Both are at the extreme IMO.
I smoke to color and not time. Once it gets a nice golden color I take them out.
Generally this takes six hours on my set up
On with the Salmon, The smoke I use is beech / hickory blend but mostly beech
After the smoke
Once they are done they need wrapping and mellowing in the fridge straight away.
Glad wrap or cryocac will do.
At this point you add the dried dill if you like. Just a sprinkle on the flesh side then wrap and store for 24-48 hours.
This is them out of the smoker and wrapped and ready for mellowing
At this point your done.
After mellowing, I then skin them and cut them into portion size and re pack for freezing.
I make enough in the cold winter to last the year, Last winter’s cold smoking I did three whole large Salmon.
The great thing is I have salmon more often, Made savings on retail and it tastes better than factory product.
Thanks for reading
