Hot-Smoked Salmon

By norsegal8

The grill rack must be hot and thoroughly clean before you place the salmon on it; otherwise the fish might stick. Use foil or the back of a large jelly-roll pan to get the fish onto the grill. Alder wood is our first choice for this recipe but hickory will be fine, too. You will need two wood chunks, each about the size of a lemon, for this recipe. Hot-smoked salmon can be served warm off the grill as well as chilled. As an hors d'oeuvre, it is delicious as is or accompanied by Melba toast (or an other flat bread or cracker), finely chopped white onion, capers, and lemon wedges. To serve the salmon as an entrée, just add lemon wedges or one of the related recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup kosher salt or 1/2 cup table salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 salmon fillet (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin on, pin bones removed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Ground white pepper

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

INSTRUCTIONS
Removing Pin Bones from Salmon: Locating and removing the pinbones from salmon can be tricky. Running your fingers along the flesh is one way to locate them, but we like to drape the salmon over an inverted mixing bowl. The curvature of the bowl forces the pinbones to stick up and out, so they are easier to spot, grasp with needle-nose pliers or tweezers, and remove, (see related quick tip for illustration).

1. Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 cups of hot water in gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag. Add 5 cups cold water and salmon, seal bag, and refrigerate until fish is fully brined, about 3 hours.

2. Meanwhile, cover two 3-inch wood chunks with water in medium bowl; soak wood chunks for 1 hour, then drain and set aside.

3. Remove salmon from brine and blot dry completely with paper towels. Place fillet, skin-side down, on 30-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil. Rub both sides of fillet, especially skin side, with oil. Dust flesh side of fillet with paprika and pepper.

4. Meanwhile, open bottom vents on grill. Ignite large chimney starter filled halfway with charcoal briquettes (about 3 quarts or 45 coals) and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash. Empty coals into one side of grill, piling them up in mound two or three briquettes high. Place wood chunks on top of charcoal. Put cooking grate in place, open grill lid vents completely, and cover. Let grate heat for 5 minutes and clean it with wire brush.

5. Slide salmon off foil and onto grill rack opposite fire so that long side of fillet is perpendicular to grill rods. Cover, positioning lid so that vents are opposite wood chunks to draw smoke through grill. Barbecue until cooked through and heavily flavored with smoke, 1 1/2 hours. (The initial temperature will be about 350 degrees but will drop to about 250 degrees by the time salmon is done.)

6. Use two spatulas to remove salmon from grill. Serve either hot or at room temperature, cutting through flesh but not skin to divide salmon into individual portions and sliding spatula between flesh and skin to remove individual pieces, leaving skin behind. Serve as is or with one of the related sauces.