Smoked Salmon

Smoked salmon is so versatile. You can eat it right off the grill with your favorite vegetable side or rice. You can eat it room temperature in a wrap with a aioli and lettuce or you can eat it cold on a bagel for a delicious breakfast. This recipe was a first attempt at smoked salmon and on a windy day in Chicago, my grill temps were a little rough but ultimately, you check the internal temperature of the salmon and when it reaches 140 degrees, it's done.  Everyone's grill is a little different and the temperatures may fluctuate but you smoke the salmon until it's done and it will come out beautifully every time. 

Ingredients: 

1.5lb-2.0lb of Atlantic Salmon
1/2 cup of real maple syrup
Pinch of cayenne

Black Pepper
Apple or Pecan Wood chips

Optional: digital thermometer

Optional: blow torch or broiler

Brine Ingredients: 

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 cups warm water

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup salt

Directions: 

1. The night before you're going to smoke the salmon, you need to brine it.  Combine all the brine ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Place the salmon in a 9x13 glass (or ceramic) dish. Pour the brine over the salmon. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight 8-10 hours. 

2. 5-10 hours before smoking, remove the salmon from the brine. Carefully rinse with cold water, dry, and set on a baking rack, skin side down. Return to the fridge for 5-10 hours to develop the pellicle (the slightly shiny, tacky surface that forms on the outside of the salmon that helps the smoke adhere to the fish for flavor). 

3. Prepare for grill with apple wood wood chips directly over the burner. I started the grill on high to get the chips smoking, then turned it all the way down to 170-180 degrees. If you're using a gas grill you'll have only one burner on low.  Place the salmon on parchment paper on the grill, skin side down.  Place an ambient temp thermometer in the grill as well as a thermometer in the thickest part of the salmon.   Cover and smoke. 

4. Your salmon will likely smoke for around 4-5 hours depending on how big your salmon is and how much your heat is regulated.  Every hour, brush the salmon with maple syrup (I added a few pinches of cayenne pepper to my maple syrup just for a little more flavor).  For the first 2 hours, my grill temp was around 180-190. The second two hours, my grill temperature was closer to 210-230. It was hard to regulate the temperature with the windy and cold conditions here today.  

5. Your salmon is done when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.  When I removed my salmon, I wanted a little more color on the outside so I used a blow torch to caramelize the top a little more. This is not necessary but I like the look and texture it created.   

6. Serve your salmon with your favorite vegetable side and some rice. Enjoy!