Apple Cured Smoked Salmon Recipes

APPLE CIDER CURED SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• To make brine:
• In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, salt and apple cider; bring to a boil. Add remaining brine ingredients, remove from the heat and cool. The brine can be made 2 to 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
• Place the salmon fillets in the liquid brine for at least 6 hours up to overnight(making sure it's submerged), refrigerated. Remove the salmon from the brine and place uncovered, on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan(or a cookie sheet). Refrigerate the fillets for at least 6 hours, or overnight, to dry them out. (A dry fillet will take on smoke quicker than a moist fillet)
• To smoke salmon:.
• In an outdoor grill, make a small fire using mesquite charcoal or briquettes. When the fire has burned down to a hot bed of coals, after about 1 hour, place the soaked wood on the coals. Position the grate 8" to 12" above the smoking wood and place the salmon fillets on the grate.
• Cover the grill and shut any open-air vents. After 5 minutes, check the heat of the grill; large fillets will be cooked and smoked through in about 30 minutes if the heat is low, about 300* to 350*F., while a hotter fire will cook the fillets in 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the salmon hot off the grill and enjoy!

HOT SMOKED SALMON WITH SALAD OF APPLES, DRIED CHERRIES, HAZELNUTS AND GREENS AND APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar and peppercorns. Spread extra-wide aluminum foil a little longer than the length of the fish on the work surface and top with an equally long layer of plastic wrap. Lay 1 half of the salmon, skin-side down, on the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the rub onto the flesh of the salmon. Place the second half of the salmon, flesh-side down, on top the first half. Fold the plastic over to cover, and then close the foil edges together and crimp tightly around the fish.
• Place the wrapped fish onto a sheet pan and top with another sheet pan. Weigh down with a brick or 2 and refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the fish over and refrigerate another 12 hours. Some juice will leak out during the process so make sure there's a place for the runoff to gather.
• Unwrap the fish and rinse off the cure mixture with cold water. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and place in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until the surface of the fish is dry and matte-like, 1 to 3 hours depending on humidity. A fan may be used to speed the process.
• Prepare a smoker with alderwood chips. Smoke the salmon over the smoldering chips, keeping the temperature inside the smoker at about 200 degrees F, until the thickest part of the fish registers 150 degrees F, about 1 hour. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Place the salmon on a platter. Drizzle with some of the reserved Apple Cider Vinaigrette, and top with the Salad of Apple, Dried Cherries, Hazelnuts and Greens. Serve.
• Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Reserve some to drizzle over the fish. Add the greens, apples, cherries and hazelnuts to the remaining vinaigrette and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

DRY-CURED SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• To make the dry cure, combine all the ingredients. This will make about one cup. The mixture may be kept, covered, for six months or more. For this recipe, you will need four tablespoons.
• Rub each salmon fillet on both sides with two tablespoons of the dry cure and place in a glass baking dish. Refrigerate for six hours, or overnight.
• Remove fillets from the dish and rinse quickly under running water, just to remove excess cure. Place fillets on a raised grid surface to allow air to circulate around them. Leave to dry for three hours, or until the surface is dry and shiny.
• Forty-five minutes before cooking, light the charcoal fire.
• When ready to cook, throw a handful of wood chips on the coals. Add hot water to the water pan of the smoker, or an improvised smoker (see note). Place the fillets on the grid over the water pan. Cover with the lid and leave the fish for at least 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Check periodically and replenish the fuel or chips if necessary. The smoker temperature should not exceed 190 degrees (use an oven thermometer). The fish is done when the flesh is firm to the touch.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and pepper to blend.
• Remove the fish from the grill and cut crosswise into serving pieces. Serve the fish immediately on its own with the vinaigrette, or on a bed of greens dressed with the vinaigrette.