Go Back

Smoked Salmon

This recipe outlines the process for making cold-smoked style salmon. It involves curing the fish with a salt and sugar rub, pressing it, rinsing, air-drying to form a pellicle, and finally smoking it at a low temperature until it reaches the correct internal temperature.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine nordic
Servings 20 people
Calories 1911.9 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Bowl For mixing the cure.
  • 2 Sheet pans or planks For weighing down the fish during curing.
  • 1 Heavy weights Bricks or phone books to press the fish.
  • 1 Smoker With hardwood chips or sawdust.
  • 1 Instant-Read Thermometer To check internal fish temperature.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
  • 2 large salmon fillets or sides pin bones removed

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl, mix together salt, sugar, brown sugar and peppercorns. Spread extra-wide aluminum foil a little longer than the length of the fish and top with an equally long layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the plastic. Lay 1 side of the fish skin down onto the rub. Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the flesh of the salmon. Place second side of salmon, flesh down onto the first side. Use the remaining rub to cover the skin on the top piece. Fold plastic over to cover then close edges of foil together and crimp tightly around the fish. Place wrapped fish onto a plank or sheet pan and top with another plank or pan. Weigh with a heavy phone book or a brick or two and refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the fish over and refrigerate another 12 hours. Some juice will leak out during the process so make sure there's a place for the runoff to gather. Unwrap fish and rinse off the cure with cold water. Pat salmon with paper towels then place in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until the surface of the fish is dry and matte-like, 1 to 3 hours depending on humidity. A fan may be used to speed the process. Smoke fish (see Note) over smoldering hardwood chips or sawdust, keeping the temperature inside the smoker between 150 degrees F and 160 degrees F until the thickest part of the fish registers 150 degrees. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cook's Note: Trout, mackerel, and bluefish also smoke well.

Notes

Ensure the salmon fillets are as equal in thickness as possible for even curing and smoking. The drying step (pellicle formation) is crucial for smoke adherence; a fan significantly speeds this up. Monitor smoker temperature closely to stay within the 150-160°F range; too high will cook the fish rather than smoke it gently. Experiment with different hardwood chips like alder or applewood for varied smoke flavors.