Sugar cured salmon

[bigwalleye]

Round one for today. I went fishing in the freezer last week and caught 3 salmon fillets!! Warm water, enough canning salt to float an egg, and 1/2 that mount in brown sugar.
12 hour soak, rinsed, set on racks in front of a fan for the pellicle to form, then into the 1400 at 275 for 3 hours over 3 oz of alder chips, since it was intended to be a short smoke.
Came out wonderfully, a little salty, a little sweet, and a little smoky.

I would caution that warm smoked salmon is subject to at least a 10% loss to the publisher before the product goes into the house...

[bigwalleye]

Round 2 will be a half picnic ham with a mustard, garlic powder and cracked pepper ala Sodaking's recipe.

[Sodaking27]

Round one for today. I went fishing in the freezer last week and caught 3 salmon fillets!! Warm water, enough canning salt to float an egg, and 1/2 that mount in brown sugar.
12 hour soak, rinsed, set on racks in front of a fan for the pellicle to fo into the 1400 at 275 for 3 hours over 3 of of alder chips, since it was intended to be a short smoke.
Came out wonderfully, a little salty, a little sweet, and a little smoky.

I would caution that warm smoked salmon is subject to at least a 10% loss to the publisher before the product goes into the house...

Looks great. Will have to give it a try.

[DReeves]

Round one for today. I went fishing in the freezer last week and caught 3 salmon fillets!! Warm water, enough canning salt to float an egg, and 1/2 that mount in brown sugar.
12 hour soak, rinsed, set on racks in front of a fan for the pellicle to form, then into the 1400 at 275 for 3 hours over 3 oz of alder chips, since it was intended to be a short smoke.
Came out wonderfully, a little salty, a little sweet, and a little smoky.

I would caution that warm smoked salmon is subject to at least a 10% loss to the publisher before the product goes into the house...

I would love to get some recipe ideas from you in reference to fish, specifically salmon. I fish the Costco River, so please keep that in mind

[bigwalleye]

Darren, I usually keep salmon really simple. There used to be an old guy that ran Lou's Fish and Cheese shop in Two Harbors, MN, on the shore of Lake Superior. We had gone in there for years, and always talked to him. We'd get in there a couple times a year, and I always made it a point to talk to him whether I had the time or not. In his later years, he was having a tough time getting around, then on oxygen, then in a wheelchair. No matter. Always took the time to talk. Always told him he had the best fish on the shore. About the last time I went in there when he was still alive, he told me he might not see me again. Told him again he still made the best smoked salmon on the shore. Kind of gave he the finger hook to come closer. Told me his secret was the salt and egg float thing, then the brown sugar. Said that is the secret. Everybody oversoaks or oversmokes. He said he was the only guy around using alder. He said to watch the tails, they're ready a lot sooner, but when you can bend a piece and it just cracks open, it's done.

Sadly, after his passing, his daughter took over, and traded on the name for a few years, then closed. Not even close.

My recipe, in my mind, is nothing more that a tribute to the man.

Thanks, Lou. Still the best smoked fish on the North Shore....


My Pop and I smoked a lot of pike when I was a kid in a home built steel refrigerator smoker. We'd take a whole fillet and then take it down to 5 chunks. Pop used to brine 24 hours, enough salt to float a spud, then smoke over apple. In my mind, too salty, esp the tails.

[DReeves]

Darren, I usually keep salmon really simple. There used to be an old guy that ran Lou's Fish and Cheese shop in Two Harbors, MN, on the shore of Lake Superior. We had gone in there for years, and always talked to him. We'd get in there a couple times a year, and I always made it a point to talk to him whether I had the time or not. In his later years, he was having a tough time getting around, then on oxygen, then in a wheelchair. No matter. Always took the time to talk. Always told him he had the best fish on the shore. About the last time I went in there when he was still alive, he told me he might not see me again. Told him again he still made the best smoked salmon on the shore. Kind of gave he the finger hook to come closer. Told me his secret was the salt and egg float thing, then the brown sugar. Said that is the secret. Everybody oversoaks or oversmokes. He said he was the only guy around using alder. He said to watch the tails, they're ready a lot sooner, but when you can bend a piece and it just cracks open, it's done.

Sadly, after his passing, his daughter took over, and traded on the name for a few years, then closed. Not even close.

My recipe, in my mind, is nothing more that a tribute to the man.

Thanks, Lou. Still the best smoked fish on the North Shore....


My Pop and I smoked a lot of pike when I was a kid in a home built steel refrigerator smoker. We'd take a whole fillet and then take it down to 5 chunks. Pop used to brine 24 hours, enough salt to float a spud, then smoke over apple. In my mind, too salty, esp the tails.

Jim - I absolutely love this story. I have always believed that relationships are what make the difference. You can have the best of something, but if you don't take the time to invest in getting to know someone, it won't matter.

I am more than a little curious about how much canning salt it takes to float an egg..... this will be fun! Can't wait to go fishing!