Smoked Salmon Recipe
If you enjoy salmon, try it smoked! It creates a wonderful flavor profile to which you can add your twists easily, like this honey garlic recipe. Now, you may wonder if smoked salmon is raw. The answer to that question depends on the method you use: hot or cold smoked.
What Does Salmon Taste Like?
For those unfamiliar with salmon, you’ll enjoy this fish. It has a rich, nutty, and sweet flavor. Of course what it tastes like also depends on how a person prepared it. If you’re looking for robust fish, choose wild salmon over farm-raised. Potential spices for salmon? Dill, garlic, and lemon are at the top of the list.
Low and Slow
Salmon benefits from a slow-smoking approach. Preheat your grill to about 175F. When the salmon reaches 145F internally, it’s ready to go. Smoking a small filet can take just an hour, while larger ones can require up to three hours.
Hot Smoking Salmon vs. Cold Smoking
The hot-smoking method thoroughly cooks the fish. Cold-smoked salmon is close to raw. Typically, the fish rests in brine before smoking, which requires an even lower smoker temperature of about 80F or below.
Smoked Salmon Recipe Ingredients
- 3 lbs salmon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Cuso’s Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Recommended smoking wood: hickory or cherry
- The day before smoking your salmon, prepare the dry brine
- Blend the salt, sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder together
- Sprinkle it evenly on the fish, pressing gently down with your hand
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours
- Rinse the salmon and pat it dry, returning it to the refrigerator overnight
- Remove the salmon from the cold, and sprinkle it all over with Cuso’s Lemon Pepper Seasoning.
- Smoke the salmon for approximately an hour, until it reaches 135F internally
Pit Master’s Memo
If you cannot find salmon, you can use trout or arctic char. Two other of my all-natural seasoning blends go well with this dish:
Cuso’s Dust Seasoning: Sea salt and smoky paprika bring out salmon’s flavor.
Cuso’s Maple Bourbon Seasoning: For something different and slightly sweet. This seasoning blend includes whisky, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Cuso’s Southwest Sand: A bit of heat with lemon-lime zest.
Sides
Berry fruit salad
Crisped baby balsamic potatoes
Dilly lentil salad
Mediterranian quinoa salad
Swiss chard with parmesan
Dessert
Berry parfait
Citrus Sorbet
Dutch Pancakes
Parfait
Lime tarts
From the Bar
Amber Ale
Cucumber Collins
Riesling
Strawberry Lemonade
Vodka
