Request From: "Dora Barton" <[email hidden]> How about some
recipes for salmon which are a little different. I am trying
to eat it often, but it gets old fixing it the same way all
the time. Thanks
Smoke On The Salmon
Software: The fish: side of Atlantic salmon, cut from an 8-
10 pound fish The cure: 2-3 tablespoons honey, warmed to
make it easier to brush
1/4 cup Kosher salt 3 tablespoons sugar
Hardware: heavy-duty aluminum foil plastic wrap 2 sheet pans
or cookie sheets (lipped pans are best) 1 big-city telephone
book or something that weighs about the same 1 electric hot
plate 1 30-gallon metal trash can 1 round grill grate that
will fit inside aforementioned trash can 2 feet of heavy
wire or two wire coat hangers wire cutters one small cast
iron skillet or heavy duty pie pan 1 disposable pie pan no-
stick spray several handfuls of your favorite hardwood chips
Crimp together 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil to
form a sheet
2.5 times longer and 3-4 times wider than the piece of fish.
Spread a single layer of plastic wrap over the foil.
Combine the salt and sugar. Sprinkle a third of the
mixture down the middle of plastic (in the shape of the
tranch... that's a fancy word for "big piece of fish"😉.
Lay the fish on the middle of the plastic wrap and brush
with the warm honey. Top with the remaining salt mix. (By
the way, if you want to add a teaspoon or two of your
favorite spice to this mixture -- say, cumin - that would be
fine by me). Close the plastic up around the fish and crimp
the foil so you have a tight, leak-proof package. Place your
armored fish on a cookie sheet, cover with the second and
weigh down with the phone book. Refrigerate the whole
menagerie in the fridge for at least 1 but up to 4 hours.
Unwrap the fish and rinse well. Pat dry, then set under a
fan in a cool, dry place until the surface of the fish no
longer looks moist -- about an hour. This step is crucial
for smoking because when water soluble proteins that have
been pulled to the surface by the cure dry, they form a kind
of molecular Velcro called a "pellicle" which is very
attractive to the good tasting stuff in smoke.
Speaking of smoke... Punch a hole in the bottom of the trash
can just big enough to snake the cord of the hot plate
through. Set the can upright and place the hot plate in the
bottom. Go ahead and turn the thermostat to medium high, but
don't plug it in yet.
Place the skillet on the hot plate and fill with the chips.
Punch a bunch of holes in the pie tin and turn it upside
down on the chips. Cut the wire or hangers so that you can
make four primitive looking hooks by which you will suspend
the grill grate so that it hangs 8 inches beyond the edge of
the can. Spray the grate with no-stick spray. If you're
feeling high-tech, use a large nail to punch a hole in the
lid of the can and insert the probe of a grill thermometer.
Place the fish on the grate, put the lid on the can and plug
in the hot plate. Watch the thermometer. Ideally the
temperature inside the can will hover around 200 degrees. If
it rises much higher, the fish may cook before it has a
chance to catch much smoke. I find that medium-high usually
does the trick in summer, but you may need to go with high
if in cooler weather.
When the fish reaches an internal temperature of 150
degrees, consume hungrily.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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