Post by tuketu on Aug 12, 2020 15:22:24 GMT -4
So there I was ... standing in line at the Superstore minding my own 6' halo, just waiting for "The Wave" to signify my turn to enter and pick up my 2 week allotment of groceries. I was almost to the door to enter when from behind me I heard two women ..." You here for the sale on salmon?" one says. Then it hit me - Smoked Salmon !!!
When I got the nod to part the doors it was "Screw the list" - I made a beeline to the seafood section. By the time I left the display I was $60 in the whole with nothing checked off my list. Now I paid no attention to the price per pound, relying on the intel from the ladies outside. As it turned out I had saved a whopping $1/lb ... Whoopy Ding ! Be that as it may I was finally going to try my hand at smoked salmon.
After wallowing thru the plethora of You Tube recipes I'd settled on a combination between two recipes. I was about to get a schooling in the art of preparing salmon for smoking . Schooling - Salmon ...to Funny ....I digress ! First lesson ...Do not use table salt for the brine - stick with a course pickling or sea salt. Once the fish had been in the brine overnight they were taken out, rinsed well under cold water ,then set on racks to dry for an hour or two. This allows the salmon to develop a tacky coating which allows the smoke to adhere to the fish.
A pellicle is a skin or coating of proteins on the surface of meat, fish or poultry, that allows smoke to better adhere to the surface of the meat during the smoking process.
The second thing I learned was there does not have to be a prolonged smoking time when hot smoking the salmon, One to two hours is plenty for smoke time. your actual cooking time on low heat may extend an extra hour or longer depending on your preference for texture and moisture. It is also important to rotate your racks to allow for more even smoking and cooking .
In the end my first attempt was not a total failure. Some pieces were a bit salty but not unbearably so. The prolonged smoke time did impart a strong smoke flavour - but some of the guinea pigs rather enjoyed that.
*** Most notable was the performance of the Bradley smoker after the the upgrade. The temperatures modulated and maintained their temp settings so much better. Mr. Gibson and I were still vigilant at monitoring the smoking process ... But that's all part of the "Joy of Cooking " ...isn't it? !
tuk
d 1
When I got the nod to part the doors it was "Screw the list" - I made a beeline to the seafood section. By the time I left the display I was $60 in the whole with nothing checked off my list. Now I paid no attention to the price per pound, relying on the intel from the ladies outside. As it turned out I had saved a whopping $1/lb ... Whoopy Ding ! Be that as it may I was finally going to try my hand at smoked salmon.
After wallowing thru the plethora of You Tube recipes I'd settled on a combination between two recipes. I was about to get a schooling in the art of preparing salmon for smoking . Schooling - Salmon ...to Funny ....I digress ! First lesson ...Do not use table salt for the brine - stick with a course pickling or sea salt. Once the fish had been in the brine overnight they were taken out, rinsed well under cold water ,then set on racks to dry for an hour or two. This allows the salmon to develop a tacky coating which allows the smoke to adhere to the fish.
A pellicle is a skin or coating of proteins on the surface of meat, fish or poultry, that allows smoke to better adhere to the surface of the meat during the smoking process.
The second thing I learned was there does not have to be a prolonged smoking time when hot smoking the salmon, One to two hours is plenty for smoke time. your actual cooking time on low heat may extend an extra hour or longer depending on your preference for texture and moisture. It is also important to rotate your racks to allow for more even smoking and cooking .
In the end my first attempt was not a total failure. Some pieces were a bit salty but not unbearably so. The prolonged smoke time did impart a strong smoke flavour - but some of the guinea pigs rather enjoyed that.
*** Most notable was the performance of the Bradley smoker after the the upgrade. The temperatures modulated and maintained their temp settings so much better. Mr. Gibson and I were still vigilant at monitoring the smoking process ... But that's all part of the "Joy of Cooking " ...isn't it? !
tuk
d 1
