Cold Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

  • 1.8 kg (4 lb) fresh salmon (approximate)

Marinade

  • 60 g (2 oz) coarse ground black pepper
  • Fresh leaves from 2 sprigs of oregano
  • 120 ml (4 oz) molasses
  • 120 ml (4 oz) gin
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 medium onion sliced/shaved thinly
  • 30 ml (1 oz) freshly crushed ginger juice
  • 30 ml (1 oz) coarse salt

Preparation

  1. Fillet the salmon so you have four fillets. Cut into sizes to fit on Bradley Smoker racks.
  2. Leaving the skin on, sprinkle a coat of meat cure on the flesh side of salmon. The cure should be heavier on the thicker portion of the salmon, thinner as you get closer to the tail.
  3. Save your extra meat cure for another day.
  4. Stack the salmon in a deep tray flesh to flesh and store in a cool covered place for 24 hours.
  5. Remove and rinse with cold water any access meat cure.
  6. Pat dry and allow the salmon to dry further in a cold, well-ventilated place. You may need a fan to blow cool air over the fish and the fish should be dry and tacky to the touch. This process may take another 24 hours to accomplish.

Smoking Method

Using Alder flavour bisquettes, place salmon in the Bradley Smoker with the damper wide open and start the smoking process, watching that temperature does not rise much over 50°C (100°F). The smoking time may vary from 4 to 8 hours depending on taste. This recipe and all other cold smoking recipes are best done in winter when the temperature is cold and the air is dry.

To Serve

Serve your cold smoked salmon as an appetizer on a small pancake with cream cheese and capers, or blend with sour cream for a dip.