Apple Cured Smoked Salmon Recipes

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.

HOME SMOKED SALMON WITH GREEN SALAD AND APPLE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• To make the salmon: In a medium bowl or container, combine the hot water, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the salmon, skin side up, to the brine, pressing it down to submerge. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the salmon from the brine, and discard the liquid. Rinse the fillet under cold running water briefly to remove the excess salt. Place the salmon, skin side down, onto a rack. Let it stand until the top is dry to the touch, for about 1 hour. Do not pat dry.
• To prepare your wok smoker: Lay 2 layers of foil in the bottom of a wok if you want to protect the pan from getting charred. Add 2 handfuls of wood chips to the wok and place it over high heat. Add the 1/2 cup water.
• Position the bamboo steamer over top of the chips, and set the salmon fillets inside.
• Cover the wok with a lid or aluminum foil, and let the salmon smoke for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until its flesh is firm to the touch, and its edges are brown, crustier and caramelized.
• Remove the salmon from the steamer and transfer to a plate. Drizzle the smoked salmon with olive oil for garnish, and serve it alongside the salad.
• To make the vinaigrette: Pour the apple juice into a small pot, then boil it on high to reduce the liquid by half.
• Into a bowl, add the mustard and grind over some black pepper.
• Add a nice pinch of coarse salt, then add a dash of the apple cider vinegar. Whisk in your reduced apple juice along with the canola oil. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
• To make the salad: Toss the frisee, radishes, beets, green beans, arugula, and celery leaves into a bowl with just enough vinaigrette to barely moisten the leaves.
• Partially crush your crunchy croutons by placing them into a bowl, then crunching them with the bottom of a second bowl. Then add them to the vegetables.
• Grate a little lemon zest over the salad with a grind of black pepper. Give everything a final toss and plate.

SMOKED SALMON AND APPLE CARPACCIO

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly brown and crisp. Cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Arrange the smoked salmon in a single layer on a serving platter. Lay the apple slices on top. Sprinkle the capers over the salmon and apple slices. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with the toasted bread.

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.