Smoked Salmon - Day 3 Finish

After 5 hours on smoke, I move the salmon to an oven and bring the temperature of the product to 150 degrees. Why ? Safety. It is cold smoked salmon.

salmon11.jpg

The picture below is the finished product. About 2 pounds each. Are you hungry yet ?

salmon12.jpg

From there I age the fillets in the refer, covered, for 24 hours. Then vacuum pack them. Most of the smoked salmon is used for dishes such as salmon spread, ravioli, bisque, salads or just munching. Hope you enjoyed the saga.

OMG -- I have got to try this!!! What have I been waiting for?

[Jenise]

Mike, I'm salivating. Okay, I'm trying it your way this week.

Btw, not that it's integral to the outcome, but out of curiosity did you use sockeyes or silvers? The raw fish from the Day One pic looks like sockeye.

That is gorgeous!!!! It makes me wish I could have smoker. Great job, Mike!!!!!

Mike, I'm salivating. Okay, I'm trying it your way this week.

Btw, not that it's integral to the outcome, but out of curiosity did you use sockeyes or silvers? The raw fish from the Day One pic looks like sockeye.

They were sockeye and so fresh they were still moving !! I just had a sample and the meat is so moist you cant imagine. Wish you luck on your smoking. We are in an area where we can get some really fresh salmon. If you look at the catalogs artisan smoked salmon runs 25 to 60 per pound depending on which catalog so when we do it at home we save mucho dinero.

Do you have silvers or sockeye ? And please do some pics. Did you get that camera ?

Mike, Noticing that you put the filets in a pan to smoke, and I see too that you are using a gas grill. I am wondering what wood or pellets you use for the smoke and how you set the grill up to produce smoke. I think I am going to try this with some wild caught Alaskan salmon, and will do it over charcoal with a little apple wood added to the coals. Do you think this would work as well as yours has apparently worked. It looks delicious!


Addendum: Mike it looks as if I should have noticed and read your earlier parts before commenting. Sorry.

Mike, Noticing that you put the filets in a pan to smoke, and I see too that you are using a gas grill. I am wondering what wood or pellets you use for the smoke and how you set the grill up to produce smoke. I think I am going to try this with some wild caught Alaskan salmon, and will do it over charcoal with a little apple wood added to the coals. Do you think this would work as well as yours has apparently worked. It looks delicious!


Addendum: Mike it looks as if I should have noticed and read your earlier parts before commenting. Sorry.

I use charcoal in an offset fire chamber with the wood on bottom and top. To do those 6 fillets I used only 30 brickets and about 1.5 pounds of wood. Cherry, apple, peach wood will all work as well as Hickory or Alder. I just happen to like the flavor of Hickory so that is why I use it. Good luck on the smoking. Let usknow how it evolves.

[Jenise]

Mike, I'm salivating. Okay, I'm trying it your way this week.

Btw, not that it's integral to the outcome, but out of curiosity did you use sockeyes or silvers? The raw fish from the Day One pic looks like sockeye.

They were sockeye and so fresh they were still moving !! I just had a sample and the meat is so moist you cant imagine. Wish you luck on your smoking. We are in an area where we can get some really fresh salmon. If you look at the catalogs artisan smoked salmon runs 25 to 60 per pound depending on which catalog so when we do it at home we save mucho dinero.

Do you have silvers or sockeye ? And please do some pics. Did you get that camera ?

I'll be using silvers--I THINK. I'll have to see what Barlean's has but I'm presuming they'll have silvers right now. Barlean's is this farmhouse in the Ferndale countryside who buy direct from the Lummi Nation whose reservation begins on the opposite corner of Slater Road and Terrell Creek. I can nearly always buy fresh salmon, halibut and crab (when I can't catch my own), fresh this morning and kept on ice, right out of their barn.

[Jenise]

Oh, and no I didn't get that camera yet. As my recent photography (crappy close-ups) should make amply clear.

Mike, I'm salivating. Okay, I'm trying it your way this week.

Btw, not that it's integral to the outcome, but out of curiosity did you use sockeyes or silvers? The raw fish from the Day One pic looks like sockeye.

They were sockeye and so fresh they were still moving !! I just had a sample and the meat is so moist you cant imagine. Wish you luck on your smoking. We are in an area where we can get some really fresh salmon. If you look at the catalogs artisan smoked salmon runs 25 to 60 per pound depending on which catalog so when we do it at home we save mucho dinero.

Do you have silvers or sockeye ? And please do some pics. Did you get that camera ?

I'll be using silvers--I THINK. I'll have to see what Barlean's has but I'm presuming they'll have silvers right now. Barlean's is this farmhouse in the Ferndale countryside who buy direct from the Lummi Nation whose reservation begins on the opposite corner of Slater Road and Terrell Creek. I can nearly always buy fresh salmon, halibut and crab (when I can't catch my own), fresh this morning and kept on ice, right out of their barn.

I am on their call list for next week. I want 3 more sockeye so fresh they are moving. Plan to cut them into steaks and freeze/vacumm for grilling during the rest of the season. I figure I can get at least 6 steaks per fish if they are decent size at all. They did say sockeye is expected.

[Jenise]

Mike,

When I got to Barleans yesterday, they had only sockeye and king--boo hoo, no silvers--and the last three sockeye went to the woman in front of me. A new catch will come in tonight, $5.50 a pound whole. Great price, all things considered, and we shall soon put the heads, etc. to good use doing this:

Crabbing 2007-1.JPG

[Jenise]

Okay, two more questions.

1) Scales. Do you use a special tool to remove scales? I don't, but am wondering if I would mind the descaling task less if I did.

2) Looking again just now at the difference in appearance between your going-into-the-oven shot and your finished result, I have to ask if the fish actually went into the oven stacked like that. And if so, did the finished piece in the final shot come from the top of the stack, or did all the fish stacked like get the same uniform sheen and lovely singed edges? I wouldn't think so, but between your cure and moisture removal, maybe that's possible.

Make that three questions.

3) One of the reasons your post is so intriguing to me is that you aim to do the opposite of what I've always aimed to do. That is, you remove moisture by pressing where I have always sought to import moisture by brining. Both methods add flavor. I'm presuming your result is chewier, which I'm going to like, not that I don't love the cake-like tenderness of what I make, too. But true story: when we lived in Alaska, I used to love taking visitors to Homer where we'd stay in a bed and breakfast run by this Swiss couple who built every stick of their home and guesthouse themselves. And Birgitta may have done more of the work than Willi--on one visit, she was outside sawing real logs for construction wood while Willi served us breakfast! And what a breakfast: though visitors were always offered a selection of more typical breakfast food, I who hate breakfast food and grew up hating fish, would be drooling in anticipation of the breakfast they always served me: their cold smoked salmon, home-baked scandinavian style whole grain pumpernickel and and home-made mustards. What was particularly wonderful to me about their salmon was that it was just a little on the chewy side. Not squaw candy, but not canned sardines either, if you get what I mean.

Okay lets see if I can cover all of these in one post.... 1. Scales. Dont touch'em, not important. Skin keeps the fillets together during the entire process up to EATING. So forget them.
2. The bottom of the pan used to do the final oven treatment is slightly hotter than the top of the top fillet. I stack them and put the thermometer in the thickest piece I can find. They are pretty uniform when I am finished with that step. They have the singed edges and uniform shiny finish. Not every time but sometimes I give them a brush of oil after they cool before I pack them with a vacuum machine. Just helps seal in flavors. I use evoo or sometimes I use hickory oil.
3.Both dry cure and brining work. I have done both and it is my opinion (just my taste) that brining ends up with more salt per bite than dry cure and washing. My product is NEVER chewy. It is flaky, and firm. Individual large flakes come apart when I do the deboning when I prepare ravioli or some other mouth watering treat. (Its like candy to me). If you compare my fish with those items you mentioned mine is not squaw candy, not sardines more like a poached cold salmon would be. Firm but not tough.

I have always been a fan of smoked meats and fish. Since I dont eat meat and have not for many years fish is my target and since 'we' live where we do salmon is a natural. Ravioli, in gravy over spiced buttermilk biscuits, bisque, on crostini, with cheese and vegies, right off the smoker (burn your lips), in salads and more than I can think about right now, I just love the stuff. I wont be able to get sockeye each time I smoke but when I do it is the best salmon I have had. Pinks are okay, silvers are better but sockeye is a winner. King or chinook is too dry, not having enough oil to stand up to long smoking. So if you can get sockeye. Did I answer your questions ?

[Jenise]

Okay lets see if I can cover all of these in one post.... 1. Scales. Dont touch'em, not important. Skin keeps the fillets together during the entire process up to EATING. So forget them.

I can't forget them. They get all over everything when I'm handling the fish so I prefer to remove them. So of course I leave the skin on, but the scales gotta go.

They are pretty uniform when I am finished with that step. They have the singed edges and uniform shiny finish. Not every time but

Okay, got it, thanks.

Both dry cure and brining work. I have done both and it is my opinion (just my taste) that brining ends up with more salt per bite than dry cure and washing. My product is NEVER chewy. It is flaky, and firm.

Well, of course they both work. I've both brined and cured other meats, and curing alone seems to make everything treated thusly firmer. That's why I was asking.

I have always been a fan of smoked meats and fish.

Me, too. Strangely, as a kid, even though I despised fresh fish I adored smoked fish which my dad used to get from a big fish market in San Pedro. You could go there any Saturday and buy a smoked version of almost everything that came out of the sea. Loved it all.

I wont be able to get sockeye each time I smoke but when I do it is the best salmon I have had. Pinks are okay, silvers are better but sockeye is a winner. King or chinook is too dry, not having enough oil to stand up to long smoking. So if you can get sockeye. Did I answer your questions ?

Now here's where we part company. King too dry? I've not experienced that at all. In fact, king if to my tastes the oiliest of the salmons, and sockeye the least. What I love about silvers is that they're half way between the two, though there's none I don't like.

[quote="Jenise

Now here's where we part company. King too dry? I've not experienced that at all. In fact, king if to my tastes the oiliest of the salmons, and sockeye the least. What I love about silvers is that they're half way between the two, though there's none I don't like.[/quote]

Its nice to be able to have a difference in taste and opinion. So many folks we know about dont have that luxury. I like wild King salmon when we dine out but these days it is getting harder to find.

About the scales. Silvers throw scales more than most salmon and the fresher the salmon the less scales it throws. You will have to take a picture of the finished product when you complete the smoking cycle.

[Jenise]

About the scales. Silvers throw scales more than most salmon and the fresher the salmon the less scales it throws. You will have to take a picture of the finished product when you complete the smoking cycle.

Aha! I did not know this! But I guess I've bought most of the salmon we've eaten in our lives when I've lived in places where we get it pristeenly fresh. Like here and Alaska.

About the scales. Silvers throw scales more than most salmon and the fresher the salmon the less scales it throws. You will have to take a picture of the finished product when you complete the smoking cycle.

Aha! I did not know this! But I guess I've bought most of the salmon we've eaten in our lives when I've lived in places where we get it pristeenly fresh. Like here and Alaska.

One other point on freshness. If you can smell it, its not that fresh. The salmon (sockeye) that I have purchased from COSTCO smells lightly of fish when I prepare and process it, usually saute or grill. The fish I procure locally from tribes you cannot smell during the butchering process. There is just no smell at all. So for freshness your nose is a pretty good guide and since you have lived in Alaska you probably know exactly what I am talking about.

[Jenise]

About the scales. Silvers throw scales more than most salmon and the fresher the salmon the less scales it throws. You will have to take a picture of the finished product when you complete the smoking cycle.

Aha! I did not know this! But I guess I've bought most of the salmon we've eaten in our lives when I've lived in places where we get it pristeenly fresh. Like here and Alaska.

One other point on freshness. If you can smell it, its not that fresh. The salmon (sockeye) that I have purchased from COSTCO smells lightly of fish when I prepare and process it, usually saute or grill. The fish I procure locally from tribes you cannot smell during the butchering process. There is just no smell at all. So for freshness your nose is a pretty good guide and since you have lived in Alaska you probably know exactly what I am talking about.

I know exactly what you mean--I never buy fish without asking to smell it first. Not that at Barleans freshness is ever an issue.

Well, I'm home from errands, including a stop in the wilds of Ferndale such that 17.3 lbs of fresh sockeye (four fish) are now curing away. Your fault.

I know exactly what you mean--I never buy fish without asking to smell it first. Not that at Barleans freshness is ever an issue.

Well, I'm home from errands, including a stop in the wilds of Ferndale such that 17.3 lbs of fresh sockeye (four fish) are now curing away. Your fault.

Just got back from Ferndale fish place. Three giant sockeye cut into steaks and are now freezing except for the trimmings which will be poached and used for cooks snack !!

[Jenise]

I know exactly what you mean--I never buy fish without asking to smell it first. Not that at Barleans freshness is ever an issue.

Well, I'm home from errands, including a stop in the wilds of Ferndale such that 17.3 lbs of fresh sockeye (four fish) are now curing away. Your fault.

Just got back from Ferndale fish place. Three giant sockeye cut into steaks and are now freezing except for the trimmings which will be poached and used for cooks snack !!

Cool! Had you ever been there before?

Cool! Had you ever been there before?Jenise

No we had never heard of the place. So as you can imagine I had to get my credit card back into my wallet before I went crazy. Halibut cheeks, chum salmon, fresh frozen tuna chunks, fresh oysters, fresh fresh fresh and the list continues. What a treasure !! Why did you keep this a secret ? Just kidding !

From there went to the Middle eastern market/cafe and purchase EVO from Sicily, tahini and more staples for the cupboard. Try to do everything on one trip. Gheeeeee, I wonder why ?

[Jenise]

No we had never heard of the place. So as you can imagine I had to get my credit card back into my wallet before I went crazy. Halibut cheeks, chum salmon, fresh frozen tuna chunks, fresh oysters, fresh fresh fresh and the list continues. What a treasure !! Why did you keep this a secret ?

Oh I'm so jazzed. You'd be surprised how many people in B-ham don't even know it's there. But it's not like Barleans lacks for customers, as I'm sure you found out--it's one of those spots that completely bucks all the commonly held wisdoms about location (it could hardly be wors or more unassuming) and marketing. Fortunately for me, it's on my way home via the country roads. If you every do things like shrimp and scallops, their wild Alaskan scallops? Dry-packed, dense, sweet, intense. Also, when they have them and they didn't yesterday, the wild Malaysian flower shrimp. Ohmigawd.

Did you know that they're also the worldest largest grower and seller of flax seeds? And yes, I meant that, WORLD.

Are you and the missus cheese eaters?

Oh I'm so jazzed. You'd be surprised how many people in B-ham don't even know it's there. But it's not like Barleans lacks for customers, as I'm sure you found out--it's one of those spots that completely bucks all the commonly held wisdoms about location (it could hardly be wors or more unassuming) and marketing. Fortunately for me, it's on my way home via the country roads. If you every do things like shrimp and scallops, their wild Alaskan scallops? Dry-packed, dense, sweet, intense. Also, when they have them and they didn't yesterday, the wild Malaysian flower shrimp. Ohmigawd.

Did you know that they're also the worldest largest grower and seller of flax seeds? And yes, I meant that, WORLD.

Are you and the missus cheese eaters?Jenise

Well it is a find and we will enjoy it more and take your advice on some of those items you mentioned. The very unusual aspect of their processing is some of their salmon is delivered to that site alive, tanked then processed. You cannot get fresher salmon.

It is a phenomenon why locals sometimes do not know about or go near a local attraction or retail outlet. Here is Skagit County I have met people who have never gone near the Tulip Festival or the fields ?? Go figure. So that leaves Barleans to you and us and those that know good seafood. I reviewed there entire website and they are now marked for many return visits when we need some special seafood.

Those sockeye steaks are now frozen and the necks and tails were consumed with some Mondavi Fume Blanc. Really I have to tell you this. When you taste salmon like those necks, poached in white wine, onion and spices and compare with that which you get in any restaurant locally you must ask the question why bother ?? Those small pieces of fresh salmon were some of the best I have ever eaten. I wish the other foodies on this forum could taste it, they would rave about it too.

Robin and I do eat some cheese and you are probably going to tell us about a cheese farm nearby. Probably been there at least once or twice. Dont recall the name. We used to go up more often for squeaky cheese and for berries but we are actually trying to curb some impulse driving and the reasons are obvious. So enlighten us if you wish and we will probably go back during our next visit to Bham.

Life is good !

Those sockeye steaks are now frozen and the necks and tails were consumed with some Mondavi Fume Blanc. Really I have to tell you this. When you taste salmon like those necks, poached in white wine, onion and spices and compare with that which you get in any restaurant locally you must ask the question why bother ?? Those small pieces of fresh salmon were some of the best I have ever eaten. I wish the other foodies on this forum could taste it, they would rave about it too.

Mike,

I just picked up several filets of copper river sockeye and your reference to necks and tails caught my attention. These filets do have a rather thin part toward what would have been the tail of the fish, and I usually just grill the whole filet. This usually means that the "tail" is drier and sometimes just used in salad later. I would like to try your poaching in white wine, onions and spices referenced above. Would you elaborate for me? I understand that you purchased whole fish and cut into steaks, but that is not possible around here. so what I am thinking may not work, but I thought I would take it to the master! Thanks.