Hot Smoked Pastrami Salmon with Apple-Cabbage Slaw

By Deli1

Ingredients

• FOR THE SALMON
• 1/2 cup Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (2-2 1/2 pound) salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed, brined or cured (see recipe below)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds, freshly round (see note above)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns, freshly ground (see note above)
• 2 cups wood chips (alder wood, hickory or mesquite), soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.
• FOR THE SLAW
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoons coarse mustard
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 Granny Smith apple cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 small head fennel, cored and sliced thin

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from myfrontburner.com

Preparation

Step 1

It works well as an appetizer either as a topping on a mini potato pancake or you can turn it into a creamy salmon dip. Flake it into a salad or add some to a BLT.  You can serve it in an omelet or on toast with sliced tomatoes for breakfast.

Brining the fish helps keep it moist during cooking and also adds flavor. Please don’t skip this step. It’s really quite simple—the salmon is soaked in a solution of water, sugar and salt for three hours.

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 cups of warm water. Add 4 cups cold water. Place salmon in gallon zipper-locked plastic bag. Pour brining solution into bag with fish and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Fold a large piece of heavy-duty foil in half and lay fish on foil. Combine molasses and cayenne pepper together in small bowl. Brush the top of salmon with molasses. Combine paprika, coriander and black pepper together in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of molasses.

Wrap wood chips in heavy-duty foil and poke several holes in the foil with the tip of paring knife. Open bottom vents on grill. Ignite a large chimney starter filled about 2/3 full with charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash. Empty coals into one side of the grill, piling them up in a mound and place foil packet of wood chips on top of coals. Put cooking grate in place, open grill lid vents completely and cover. Let grate heat for 5 minutes.

Place foil with salmon onto grill opposite fire. Cover and position lid so that vents are opposite wood chips to draw smoke through grill. After 30 minutes, add a handful of fresh coal if needed. Cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until the thickest part of the salmon reaches 150°F. Remove the salmon from the grill by lifting it up with the sides of the foil.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, honey and both mustards and medium bowl. Slowly whisk in oil and season with salt and pepper. Measure out half of the dressing into a small bowl and set aside. Stir red onions into medium bowl with dressing. Just before serving, toss cabbage, apple and fennel into bowl with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.